logo
Serbian students participating in ultramarathon arrive in Brussels

Serbian students participating in ultramarathon arrive in Brussels

Euronews12-05-2025

Serbian students partaking in the massive – almost 2,000 kilometre – ultramarathon from Novi Sad, Serbia, have arrived in Brussels on Monday.
The run titled 'From my village to Brussels' saw almost two dozen Serbian students make the trek to the European capital where they will be meeting MEPs from several political groups.
The ultramarathon, covering an exactly 1,993 kilometre stretch, began on 25 April. It was originally planned to include 16 students – the exact number of victims in the tragic awning collapse in Novi Sad Railway Station. It was later expanded to 21 students.
The journey was broken down in a relay format, with each student running 15 kilometres daily until they reached the final destination.
Thank you so much, this is the 1,933rd kilometre. You are truly incredible, people. First of all, you twenty — you have no idea how much I love you,' said Maja, a participant in the ultramarathon.
'All of you here, thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea how much strength and energy you give us, and how much you mean to us.'
In Brussels, alongside meeting MEPs, the pupils will also be meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement, Martha Kos, as well as Commissioner for Youth, Glenn Micallef.
On 1 November, a massive concrete awning collapsed at a railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, initially killing 14 people. Two of the wounded later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total death toll to 16.
Protests erupted shortly after, largely led by students, demanding the government take accountability for the incident, and the mass resignation of officials.
Many in Serbia blamed the incident on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations.
Multiple lines on the London Underground network were suspended or disrupted on Monday afternoon because of a power outage, the British capital's transport authority said.
The Transport for London website showed that at least three subway lines were suspended due to a power failure and there were severe delays and partial suspensions on at least six other lines during the afternoon rush hour.
The transport authority said it was working with the National Grid to determine the cause of the outage.
"Due to a brief interruption of the power supply to our network, several lines lost power for a short period earlier this afternoon," said Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer in a statement.
"We are working to get the whole network up and running again as quickly as possible."
The National Grid said there was a "fault" on its transmission network in central London and that it was "resolved within seconds."
Earlier, a Transport for London spokesperson told the PA news agency that there was a power cut in south London "for a matter of minutes," causing disruption in the subway network.
British media reported that many stations in central London were completely closed.
Last month, a power outage caused by a fire at an electrical substation in west London forced the closure of Heathrow Airport for almost a day, disrupting thousands of flights.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Deadly school shooting fuels debate on Austria's gun laws
Deadly school shooting fuels debate on Austria's gun laws

France 24

time7 hours ago

  • France 24

Deadly school shooting fuels debate on Austria's gun laws

The unprecedented case of deadly gun violence stunned the country of almost 9.2 million people, which ranks among the 10 safest in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. While politicians have called for tighter restrictions on private gun ownership in the wake of the shooting in Graz, interest in firearms and demand for weapons training courses has surged. "You can't imagine how many people have signed up for shooting courses" since Tuesday's attack, Viennese gun dealer Markus Schwaiger, who also offers training courses at shooting ranges, told AFP. "People are worried that gun laws are about to get tightened" in the coming months, he added. Austria has a relatively high number of weapons in circulation, with more than 1.5 million registered to about 370,000 owners. 'Strong gun culture' According to industry expert Aaron Karp, Austria has a "strong gun culture" centred around "hunting and sports shooting, especially in the countryside", which is rich with game. The Alpine nation is also one of the European countries with the largest number of small arms in circulation per capita, said Karp, one of the authors of the Small Arms Survey, which compiles data on gun ownership. Famous for the Glock pistol, invented by Austrian engineer Gaston Glock, gun ownership is deeply rooted in the country -- and has been on a steady rise in recent decades: only about 900,000 weapons were registered in Austria in 2015, according to official figures. For Schwaiger, "rising populism" has also played its part, with right-wing politicians tapping into people's anxieties over crises, arguing that the world has become a more dangerous place. "For twenty years, right-wing populism has been scaring people" and "every crisis causes sales to skyrocket," he told AFP. The shooting at a secondary school in the southern city of Graz by a 21-year-old former pupil was the deadliest postwar mass shooting in Austria. But a study published online in 2020 in the European Psychiatry journal suggests that the number of violent deaths in Austria has been increasing in lockstep with the number of weapons. In order to join the European Union in 1995, Austria had to regulate the sale of firearms, which temporarily led to a drop in violent deaths -- until the financial crisis of 2008 hit. According to the study, the positive effect of the reform has been "offset by the global economic slowdown", which increased anxiety among the public and thus the tendency to purchase weapons. "After such an act of madness... there must be consequences and changes," Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Friday. Under the current legislation, anyone without a criminal record and over the age of 21 can buy handguns after undergoing an assessment and registering their weapon. 'Unfit' "The standards for psychological testing" to grant gun licences in Austria are "very good", said Karp, but proper implementation appears to be the bottleneck. The gunman, who killed nine pupils and a teacher in Graz, was rejected from Austria's mandatory military service after failing the psychological tests and being deemed "unfit". He was nonetheless able to receive a gun licence and purchase the shotgun and pistol that he used in the attack. "He obviously found a gun dealer and a psychologist who didn't look too closely," Schwaiger lamented. "There is still too much leeway." Such shortcomings have been dominating and fuelling the most recent debate on Austria's gun laws, with the opposition Green Party tabling a bill to tighten legislation in May. Austrian authorities have said they plan to consult other European countries like France, Sweden and the Czech Republic, which have experienced mass shootings in the past.

Spain economy minister urges fair, balanced EU-US tariff deal
Spain economy minister urges fair, balanced EU-US tariff deal

France 24

time8 hours ago

  • France 24

Spain economy minister urges fair, balanced EU-US tariff deal

"There is still a long way to go to reach an agreement, but there remains the will to do so," Cuerpo told AFP in an interview on Thursday. His comments came on the sidelines of a trip to Houston, Texas, as he sought to reassure Spanish businesses rattled by US President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs. Trump has slapped a 10 percent tariff on almost all trading partners including the European Union since returning to the presidency in January. He also threatened to impose heftier duties of 50 percent on the bloc, although pausing the higher rate until July 9. For now, Trump's existing tariffs, including 25 percent US duties on imported automobiles and 50 percent levies on steel and aluminum, are affecting European companies, Cuerpo said. Pressure is mounting as July approaches. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC this week that an EU deal will likely be among the last that Washington completes, even as he remained optimistic that both sides would reach this goal. Arriving at a deal by July 9 would be ideal as it signals "certainty and confidence," Cuerpo said. He maintained that things are "progressing," stressing that "there is unanimity among the 27 member states to reach a fair and balanced agreement." No 'overreaction' He added that while Europe has prepared a response package to Trump's tariffs, Brussels is holding off implementation so that it cannot be "interpreted as an escalation in this tariff conflict." It is critical that the EU gives a "very clear signal" that it wants to strike a deal with the Trump administration, he said. "The fundamental thing is to avoid any element of overreaction," he added. Besides the EU, higher US tariffs on goods from dozens of economies including Japan and India are also due to take effect in July. Trump has taken an especially harsh stance on China as Beijing pushed back on US levies, with both sides engaging in an escalating tariffs war that has only been temporarily rolled back. The Spanish minister expects Trump's tariffs to have limited effect on his country's economic growth this year, given its smaller exposure to the US market. But he warned that certain sectors like olive oil and wine are at higher risk as more of such exports head to the United States. In the interim, Cuerpo noted the importance too of the Mercosur agreement, a trade deal between the European Union and four South American nations including Brazil. Asked if a new global trade order is emerging, Cuerpo said: "This feeling is widely shared." "We are witnessing a rebalancing of these trade relations at the international level and what nobody knows is what's the new point we will reach," he added.

World leaders call for restraint, de-escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran
World leaders call for restraint, de-escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran

France 24

time8 hours ago

  • France 24

World leaders call for restraint, de-escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the attack as a "declaration of war"and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel would pay for its 'foolish mistake'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation in Iran would continue for 'as long as it takes' while US President Donald Trump warned Tehran of "even more brutal" attacks if it does not make a deal on its nuclear programme". "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left ... JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," Trump said in a post on social media. Earlier the US President told Fox News that the US hoped to continue talks with Iran to end its escalating uranium enrichment programme. "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table," he said. 'Maximum restraint' French President Emmanuel Macron said Israel had the right to defend itself, but called for Israel and Iran to 'exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate', and "avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region". Macron spoke on the phone with Netanyahu after Israel launched its attack on Iran, the French presidential palace said on Friday, without giving further details. Macron also held a call on Friday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the situation, their offices said. "The leaders discussed the long-held grave concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, and called on all sides to refrain from further escalation that could further destabilise the region," said a statement from Starmer's office. UN Chief Antonio Guterres also called for 'maximum restraint' from both sides to avoid "descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the regoin can hardly afford", his spokesperson said. Russia urged its citizens in Israel to leave the country, as spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies that the Israeli strikes were 'unprovoked'. 'Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,' he said. China said it was 'deeply worried" about the "severe consequences" of Israel's actions, as it called on relevant parties to 'take actions that promote regional peace and stability". 'Dangerous escalation' Countries neighbouring Israel and Iran roundly condemned the attacks. Iraq said the Isreli stikes were a violation of international law and "a serious threat to international peace and security". It lodged a complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Israel's "violation' of its airspace during the attacks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the attacks a 'clear provocation that disregards international law'. A vocal critic of Israel and a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, Erdogan urged the international community to "put an end to Israeli banditry". Oman and Qatar said the attacks threatened stability in the region. Meanwhile, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, long seen as the Iran-led axis's most powerful group said that Israel's "brutal" strike threatened to "ignite the region". "This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction," the group said. Yemen's Houthi rebels said they backed Iran's 'full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means" to the Israeli strike. The Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war, said that Israel's 'aggression' constituted a 'dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store