Five Stories from Europe You May Have Missed

[rpannier]

1. Kosovo Calls On Apple To Correct Its Borders On Maps

PRISTINA -- Kosovo has asked U.S. technology company Apple to correct its borders on its maps.

Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj said on Twitter on July 26 that she had written a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

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On those maps, Kosovo is shown as part of Serbia, something the minister said was in "in direct contradiction of the political and legal realities."

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Kosovo, dominated by ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by some 100 countries -- but not by Serbia, ally Russia, and five EU countries.

https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-calls-on-apple-to-correct-its-borders-on-maps/30750919.html


2. Ukraine Accuses Separatists Of Breaching New Truce

KYIV -- Ukraine's military says Russia-backed separatists have breached a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine shortly after it went into effect -- a claim rejected by the separatists.

The cease-fire, which entered into force on July 27, had been agreed to last week by negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

However, separatists violated the new truce near the town of Uzhivka, south of their stronghold city of Donetsk, and around Novomykhaylivka, southwest of Donetsk, according to Ukraine's military.

It said no casualties were reported despite attacks with small arms, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns.

https://www.rferl.org/a/eastern-ukraine-ceasefire-conflict-russia-/30748183.html


3. Ryanair shares fall as COVID-19 brings €185m losses and 99% drop in passengers

Ryanair reported losses of €185 million on Monday as passenger numbers fell by 99% during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, a period the European budget airline described as the "most challenging" in its 35-year history.

In a bleak assessment, the carrier warned that "air travel in Europe is likely to remain depressed for at least the next two or three years" and said a second wave of COVID-19 cases across the continent in late autumn "is our biggest fear right now".

Ryanair shares fell by 4% on Monday amid a general slump in the travel and tourism industries over concerns about new restrictions to combat fresh coronavirus outbreaks in parts of Europe, particularly Spain.

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An 85% reduction in costs was not enough to offset a plunge in revenue of 95% "as bookings came to an abrupt standstill" in the early stages of the crisis, Ryanair said. Even so, it describes its balance sheet as "one of the strongest in the industry".

https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/27/ryanair-shares-fall-as-covid-19-brings-185m-losses-and-99-drop-in-passengers


4. Andrew Harper: Three teenagers guilty of manslaughter for dragging British policeman to his death

Three teenagers have been found guilty of manslaughter after dragging a British police officer to his death when he got caught on their vehicle.

The driver, 19-year-old Henry Long, was cleared of a murder charge on Friday but had earlier pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper.

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As the 28-year-old tried to arrest the teenagers, Long drove off at 42.5mph (68km/h), resulting in a tow rope on the back their Seat Toledo entangling the officer's legs and pulling him along with them.

The officer was dragged for more than a mile behind the car and was later found by his colleagues with his uniform stripped and unconscious.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/24/andrew-harper-three-teenagers-guilty-of-manslaughter-for-dragging-british-policeman-to-his

5. Russian Journalist Whose Collarbone Broken By Police Fined

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A Russian journalist whose collarbone was broken by a police officer was fined for failing to obey police as he reported during a national vote on a series of changes to the constitution, a charge he denies.

A court in St. Petersburg on July 27 fined Mediazona news website correspondent David Frenkel 500 rubles ($7) after finding him guilty of refusing to follow a police officer's instructions at a polling station on June 30.

Police said that during his detainment, in which an officer broke Frenkel's collarbone, the journalist "provoked a conflict situation" by resisting law enforcement officers, pushing them, using his feet and leaning against walls even though video presented at the hearing failed to show such a scene.

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During the incident, Abramov stepped on Frenkel's leg and pulled his arm, trying "to prove" that the journalist was faking injury.

https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-journalist-whose-arm-was-broken-by-police-fined/30749598.html

[KY_EnviroGuy]

1. K&R. Thanks for the snips from Europe!

KY........

[abqtommy]

2. K&R

[2naSalit]

3. K&R!