Belgium
Belgium is battling the largest forest fire in the history of recorded observations, which has engulfed 3,000 hectares of the High Fens nature reserve. Authorities evacuated residents of two villages, while the EU sent aircraft to help.
Since the beginning of summer, 474 people suspected of intentional or accidental arson have been detained in France. Fires have also affected Croatia, Germany, Greece, and Spain.
France, Germany and Britain are coordinating efforts to ensure Europe’s participation in future negotiations. They are concerned about possible exclusion from the dialogue by the Trump administration.
A forest fire in Croatia has engulfed the coast, claiming one life and injuring around 40 people. More than 1,200 people have been evacuated, and 10 are in intensive care.
A 42-year-old Kyiv resident is suspected of sexually abusing his own 3-year-old daughter and forcing her to participate in the creation of child pornography. The court imposed bail as a preventive measure, and the prosecutor's office is appealing the decision.
German authorities evacuated around 1,800 people from the village of Geich because of a forest fire that approached the border with Belgium. The fire engulfed 25 hectares, and the B399 road was closed.
As of the end of June, more than 4. 4 million Ukrainians were under temporary protection in the EU, 24,000 more than in May. The largest numbers of such people are in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
On August 6, Kyiv's Dynamo will face Azerbaijan's Qarabağ in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Bookmakers consider the Ukrainian team the favorite, with odds of 2.16.
In July, Belgium imported 0. 4 million tons of LNG from Russia, becoming completely dependent on it. This complicates the EU's energy policy, which plans a full ban on Russian gas next year.
Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh stated that European bureaucracy poses a greater threat to Europe's defense than the Russians. She called for simplifying procedures for implementing joint projects, in particular the Freyja anti-ballistic shield.
Kyiv Dynamo lost to PAOK with a score of 2:0 in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The team will continue its performances in the third round of the Conference League.
On July 29, Polissia will play against Copenhagen in the Conference League, and on July 30, Dynamo will face PAOK in the Europa League, and LNZ will face Gent.
The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom visited the minesweeping vessel "Cherkasy", received from Britain in 2023. The leaders were also shown drones and unmanned vehicles.
The Royal Belgian Football Association has announced the appointment of Dutchman Mark van Bommel as head coach of the national team. He will prepare the team for the 2028 European Championship.
Cherkasy LNZ failed to beat Belgian Gent in the first match of the 2nd qualifying round of the Conference League, playing a 0-0 draw. The return match will take place in a week in Belgium.
The residents of Zhytomyr will face "Copenhagen", and the residents of Cherkasy will play against "Gent" in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.
Kyiv's "Dynamo" signed a three-year contract with 25-year-old defender Oleksii Sych. According to Transfermarkt, the transfer fee from Lviv's "Karpaty" amounted to 1 million euros.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha met with a delegation of representatives from 23 OSCE countries. He emphasized the need to release the Ukrainian SMM OSCE staff members whom Russia has been holding since 2022.
The US Senate has introduced an updated version of a bill on sanctions against Russia, which provides for tariffs of up to 100% instead of 500%. The document is supported by about 60 senators and allows President Trump to temporarily suspend sanctions.
Kyiv's "Dynamo", if they advance past PAOK, will face the winner of the pair "Hammarby" – "Anderlecht". "LNZ" and "Polissya" have also learned their potential opponents in the Conference League.
On July 19, Spain and Argentina will play in the World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium. Spain could win its second title, while Argentina aims to defend the trophy.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that a Ukrainian unit will take part in the parade on July 21 for the first time in history. Previously, Ukrainian military participated in the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
On July 14 in Dallas, the 2026 World Cup semifinal between France and Spain will take place. Bookmakers give a slight edge to the French with odds of 2.46.
A group of Ukrainian servicemen took part in the annual parade on the Champs-Élysées. They marched at the end, receiving warm applause.
In the province of Almería, 13 people died as a result of the fire, including a 93-year-old British woman. Another ten people are considered missing, and the fire has burned about 7,000 hectares.
European countries recorded over 10,000 excess deaths during the record heatwave in late June. Most victims were people aged 65 and older, and scientists link this to climate change.
On July 13, International Rock Day and French Fry Day are celebrated. In Ukraine, Orthodox Christians according to the new calendar honor the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.
July 11 marks World Population Day, established by the UN in 1989. In Ukraine, the memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is honored.
UEFA called FIFA's decision to suspend Folari Balogun's disqualification a crossing of the red lines of football integrity. The decision was made after a call from US President Trump to FIFA President Infantino.
The depositary Euroclear filed a lawsuit with a Belgian court to block a Russian court's decision to pay 220 billion euros. Euroclear insists that only Belgian courts have jurisdiction over it.