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☆ U.S. finishes Billie Jean King Cup qualifying unbeaten
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Each best-of-five series consists of two singles matches on the first day, then the reverse singles matches followed by a doubles match on the second day. The doubles match pitting Juvan and Zidansek against Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu was suspended at 3-3 in the first set. Jule Niemeier posted a three-set win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, and then Anna-Lena Friedsam lost only one game in defeating Laura Pigossi. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina handed Poland's Magda Linette her second loss in two days to clinch the 3-1 series win in Astana, Kazakhstan. After Fernandez's three-set win over Ysaline Bonaventure, Belgium's Greet Minnen again knotted the match with a three-set win over Katherine Sebov.

☆ After fatal Greek train crash, a campus simmers with rage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A man stands next to flowers and messages for the victims of a fatal train crash, at the closed train station of Thessaloniki, Greece, March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros AvramidisTHESSALONIKI, Greece, April 4 (Reuters) - A month after 12 students at Greece's largest university were killed in a train crash, messages of grief across the campus are tinged with rage. "This crime will not be forgotten," a note on a makeshift memorial at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki reads. Fifty-seven people died in the country's deadliest rail disaster on Feb. 28, when a passenger train and a cargo train travelling on the same track collided head-on. "This sadness, this anger, we tried - as students - to turn it into a fight," said Evangelia Grigoriou, a civil engineering student.

☆ News organizations reject Elon Musk’s demand of paying to keep checkmarks on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —News organizations have a message for Elon Musk: We are not going to pay you for checkmarks on Twitter. Historically, a blue checkmark placed next to the name of an account has indicated that the social media company has confirmed the identity of the person or business operating it. Musk earlier this year launched Twitter Blue, a subscription service that costs $8 a month. A blue checkmark. POLITICO additionally said it will not pay for Twitter Blue.

☆ Ten Square Games' Hero Legacy to launch in coming months - CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

GDANSK, March 29 (Reuters) - Polish mobile games maker Ten Square Games (TENP.WA) expects the new "Hero Legacy" game produced by its Gamesture unit to launch in the coming months, its CEO Michal Zuzalek said on Wednesday. The company plans to present an updated growth strategy together with the presentation of its first-quarter results, which are due at the end of May, a spokesperson for the group said. Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega and Karolina Komada; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ten Square Games to cut jobs as inflation bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GDANSK, March 29 (Reuters) - Polish mobile games maker Ten Square Games (TENP.WA) plans to cut jobs, Chief Financial Officer Magdalena Jurewicz said on Wednesday, citing rising inflation and a difficult environment for the gaming sector in the country. Shares in the company slid 13.5% on the news, which comes a day after Ten Square Games reported a 63% fall in net profit for last year due to a post-pandemic exodus of players. "We have a new game from Gamesture, that will appear in the coming months. The technical launch is already underway (...) we will be testing this game and Gamesture wants to add new games to its portfolio in the coming months," he added. Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega and Karolina Komada; Editing by Jan Harvey and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/4] Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis leads a cabinet meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, March 28, 2023. Mitsotakis's New Democracy Party has held a comfortable lead over opposition leftist Syriza since it came to power in 2019, opinion polls show, but a Feb. 28 rail disaster which killed 57 people has stirred public anger and seen that gap narrow. The rail disaster on the Athens-Thessaloniki route, Greece's deadliest on record, sparked mass protests over the safety shortcomings of an underfunded and poorly maintained network, the legacy of a decade-long financial crisis which ended in 2018. Mitsotakis said the 'painful and traumatic' experience of the rail disaster highlighted deficiencies the state still had. "On May 21, Greek citizens will choose if the country will continue to seek winning the bet of reforms".

☆ Poland Lays Out Plans to Send MiG-29 Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( James Marson | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland released the first details of its and other European countries’ plans to send MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, pushing Western support for Kyiv over a key threshold ahead of a planned offensive later this spring, despite warnings from Russia against Western nations playing a larger role in the conflict. The Polish government this week said a coalition of countries was willing to send their Soviet-designed MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine and Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw would deliver its own planes in 4-6 weeks, Polish state news agency PAP reported. An official at the country’s Bureau for National Security said Poland could send 4-5 planes “for a start” as soon as a week from now.

☆ Poland to Send Four MiG-29 Jet Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland said it would send four MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine in coming days, making it the first Western nation to supply warplanes to Kyiv, which is preparing a counteroffensive against Russia’s invading forces. The move puts Poland once again at the center of European policy-making on Ukraine, following Warsaw’s successful efforts earlier this year to cobble together a coalition of countries willing to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

☆ Poland Says Russian Spies Sought to Sabotage Western Arms Transfers to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Patriot Missile systems protect an airport outside the Polish town of Rzeszow where military aid flows into Ukraine. WARSAW—Poland’s domestic security agency detained nine foreigners suspected of planning to sabotage Western weapons shipments to Ukraine, in the largest known attempt by Russia to target arms deliveries from within Europe. Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński said Thursday that the nine people, who have been detained in recent days, had been paid by Russian special services.

☆ Poland to Send Four MiG-29 Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland said it would send four MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine in coming days—making it the first Western nation to supply warplanes to Kyiv, which is preparing a counteroffensive against Russia’s invading forces. The move puts Poland once again at the center of European policy-making on Ukraine, following Warsaw’s successful efforts earlier this year to cobble together a coalition of countries willing to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

☆ BuzzFeed Encourages Reporters to Write More Stories in Attempt to Turn Profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Alexandra Bruell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BuzzFeed has reduced the size of its newsroom by about 40% in the past year. BuzzFeed Inc. is encouraging its newsroom to produce more articles in an effort to boost traffic, as its news division continues to lose money and the digital publisher braces for continuing declines in revenue. BuzzFeed News Editor in Chief Karolina Waclawiak told staff at a recent meeting that increasing the news division’s volume and traffic was part of an effort to help the newsroom meet a goal of becoming profitable this year.

☆ 'Kim Kardashian of the cat world': Gacek draws tourists to Polish city
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SZCZECIN, Poland, March 10 (Reuters) - Cat lovers are heading to the Polish city of Szczecin to catch a glimpse of Gacek, a chubby black-and-white feline who has become an internet sensation. Having received scores of five-star reviews, the "Kot Gacek" (Gacek the cat) pin on the map, near a shop selling bags emblazoned with the cat's face, has beaten sights including a Renaissance castle to the top spot. "Gacek is the Kim Kardashian of the cat world," Karolina Nowak, manager of the official TikTok account for the Western Pomerania region where Szczecin is located, @pomorzezachodnie, said. Gacek is not the first animal to draw tourists to a Polish city. In 2021, a golden retriever became Gdańsk’s most highly rated tourist attraction on Google.

☆ Greek workers join walkout over deadly train crash, call protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS, March 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of workers will join a nationwide strike on Wednesday in protest over Greece's deadliest train disaster that killed 57 people, and mass demonstrations are expected to culminate outside parliament in Athens. Wednesday's strike, to be joined by various public sector workers, is expected to disrupt metro, tram and bus servives, and ferries will remain docked in ports as seamen join the walkout. "We will impose safe railways so that no one will ever experience the tragic accident at Tempi ever again," the main railway workers union said in a statement. ADEY, the umbrella union representing hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, also called for a day-long strike and protest over the "murderous crime". Greece sold its state-owned railway operator, now called Hellenic Train, under its international bailout program in 2017 to Italy's state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.

[1/5] Destroyed carriages are seen on the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 3, 2023. Police said 31 bodies have now been identified - almost all from DNA tests as the crash was so violent. Not long before the crash, his son had told him he would be late and would call. In school yards in Athens, students used their bags to write the words "Call me when you get there," a phrase that has become one of the protest slogans. Work continued at the crash site, where rescue staff used cranes to lift some carriages thrown off the tracks.

Summary At least 46 killed in Greece's worst train disasterGovernment promises to fix ailing rail systemRailway workers walk off job in safety standards protestLARISSA, Greece, March 2 (Reuters) - The death toll from Greece's deadliest train crash was set to rise even higher, with 46 confirmed dead but ten people still missing, authorities said on Thursday. As many in Greece demanded answers, rescuers continued to comb through charred and buckled rail carriages to try and find more victims. [1/5] Rescuers operate on the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 2, 2023. INVESTIGATIONThe station master of Larissa train station was arrested on Wednesday and appeared before a local magistrate on Thursday. The Italian operation has responsibility for passenger and freight, and the Greek state-controlled OSE for infrastructure.

☆ WTA roundup: Katie Volynets escapes 5-0, third-set hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 - Down 5-0 and a match point in the third set, the United States' Katie Volynets rallied to upset third-seeded Anastasia Potapova of Russia 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas. Volynets heated up while winning the last seven games, as she lost just one point total in the final three games. Abierto GNP SegurosThird-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia needed just 80 minutes to rout the United States' Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Monterrey, Mexico. Fifth-seeded Lin Zhu of China registered a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 win over Canada's Rebecca Marino, and Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure topped Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-3. In the last match of the night, Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova was scheduled to oppose the United States' Caroline Dolehide.

The collision occurred as the passenger train, heading to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki from the capital Athens, emerged from a tunnel near the central town of Larissa. Our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the site of the crash, looking shattered. [1/15] The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis 1 2 3 4 5'MUM, I'M HURT'The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. Greece's ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas.

☆ At least 16 dead, scores injured after trains collide in Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Floulis/File PhotoATHENS, March 1 (Reuters) - Sixteen people were killed and least 85 were injured after two trains collided head-on in Greece late on Tuesday, the fire brigade said, while the circumstances of the crash remained unclear. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa, collided outside the city of Larissa in central Greece, said the governor of the Thessaly region. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. "It was like an earthquake," Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT.

☆ Piraeus Bank reports higher Q4 profit on strong net interest income
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ATHENS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Piraeus Bank (BOPr.AT), Greece's fourth-largest lender by market value, reported on Friday strong net earnings in the last quarter of 2022 on higher fees and net interest income. The bank, which is 27 percent owned by the country's HFSF bank rescue fund, reported net earnings of 170 million euros, after a profit of 116 million euros in the third quarter last year. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas Editing by Karolina TagarisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WTA roundup: Coco Gauff reaches Dubai semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Tennis Championships - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 23, 2023 Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates winning her quarter final match against Madison Keys of the U.S. REUTERS/Satish KumarFebruary 24 - Fifth-seeded Coco Gauff won an all-American quarterfinal on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5 in the United Arab Emirates. Gauff saved the only break point she faced in the 81-minute match, and she converted four of her five break opportunities. The result moves Gauff into a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning French Open champion. The other semifinal will feature third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. In the last match of the night, fourth-seeded Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic downed Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure 6-0, 7-5.

☆ WTA roundup: Top seeds roll in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

February 22 - The top two seeds in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships lost a combined three games while cruising to second-round wins on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning French Open and U.S. Open champion, routed Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 6-1, and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, demolished the United States' Lauren Davis 6-0, 6-1. Third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States, who lost to Swiatek in the Doha final, got past Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in the second round at Dubai. Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, had lost her first-round matches at Auckland, New Zealand; Hobart, Australia; and the Australian Open to begin the year.

☆ Russia has spent 9 months bleeding troops to try to capture a city with limited strategic value, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has spent nine months trying to capture Bakhmut in a slow and brutal campaign. Experts say the city does not even have that much strategic value. Ukrainians fighting in the city say it has been a "living hell" for months, while commanders on both sides have called the battle a "meat grinder." But ultimately, experts say, the city may not be important enough to justify the effort and expense Russia has put into it. A map showing the location of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

WARSAW—In a sprawling factory complex surrounded by derelict buildings, hundreds of technicians are working around the clock on one of the biggest challenges of Ukraine’s war: repairing artillery and heavy armor and returning it to the front line. Mechanics buzz around the football-field-sized workshop housing three AHS Krab guns, the air thick with the smell of metal dust and automotive grease. Two of the Krabs, which look like tanks but are self-propelled 155-caliber howitzer guns, are missing parts of their caterpillar tracks and are riddled with bullet holes and contorted metal.

☆ Determined Linette reaping rewards after overcoming 'painful' injury layoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Linette withdrew from the 2021 Australian Open one day before her flight to Melbourne because of a knee injury that took 11 weeks to diagnose and kept her sidelined for five months. "It was honestly the most painful experience of my life," Linette told reporters on Wednesday. "I had meniscus surgery, but because it was kind of tricky where the injury was, nobody could really see what was happening. I changed a lot in my life and made some tough decisions, and I think I'm getting rewarded for it now." Linette will meet the fifth seed, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, for a place in the final.

☆ Djokovic romps on towards 10th Australian title, Linette stuns Pliskova
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Djokovic is making a mockery of the theory that the second week of Grand Slam tournaments get tougher. Fifth seed Rublev has now lost all seven Grand Slam quarter-finals which he contested. "I'm really excited, man. So I'm really grateful." Linette had no problems serving out her quarter-final against twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova, whose 36 unforced errors sabotaged yet another bid to win a first major.

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