Latest news with #Kos
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EU enlargement commissioner says launching clusters with Ukraine and Moldova is "absolutely necessary"
The opening of the first cluster in the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is absolutely necessary; everything is ready for this, and the decision is in the hands of the EU Council. Source: Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, at a meeting of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on 3 June, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kos stressed that Ukraine and Moldova are ready to open the first cluster, and the EU Council must find ways to do so. "We absolutely need to take the next step with Ukraine and Moldova. Now, both countries have done their homework. Everything is ready and in the hands of the Council to open the first cluster," she noted. Kos reiterated that "EU accession for Ukraine is a key security guarantee. We need to make it a reality". "We need to process the move forward, to keep up momentum for reform in Ukraine, to help our member states tackle their concerns and ultimately to respond to our biggest security challenges since the end of the Second World War," she said. Marta Kos also mentioned the progress in reforms that Ukraine was demonstrating. "Thirty-six reform indicators have been met with continued efforts in traditional reform, anti-corruption, energy market liberalisation, corporate governance and the business climate. These reforms achieved under the most difficult conditions are not abstract. They directly support Ukraine's EU accession and bring it closer to the Union in every sense, politically, legally and economically," Kos stated. Background: Brussels is developing a scenario for parallel negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU bypassing Hungary – the first steps in its implementation have already been taken, although they prefer not to announce this officially. On 27 May, János Bóka, Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs, stated that Hungary would continue to block Ukraine's accession to the EU due to espionage scandals. Read more: "Plan B" for Ukraine's EU accession: how Brussels is preparing to overcome Hungary's veto Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British woman is killed and her husband left fighting for life after SUV crashes into bakery in Kos
A British woman has been killed and her husband left fighting for his life after an SUV crashed into a bakery on a Greek island. The driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle before slamming into the building in Tigaki, Kos, shattering the windows and dragging the couple along. The pair were sitting at tables outside the bakery when the large 4x4 came barreling towards them, local media reports. They had been holidaying on the tourist hotspot island before the nightmare unfolded yesterday afternoon. The driver had just left work and was on his way to the bakery when disaster struck, according to local news outlet Mega. Both the couple and the driver were left injured after he struck the shop's window. All three were rushed to hospital, where the woman succumbed to her injuries and died. Her husband remains in critical condition, while the driver suffered only minor injuries. A bakery worker told local news that the driver was turning towards the building when he appeared to lose control of the vehicle. She said: 'The driver was in a state of shock, clutching his head, shouting "what happened, what did I do?"' The Traffic Police in Kos have since launched an investigation into the crash. It comes after a British tourist was killed in India when a car driving 'in a rash and negligent manner' lost control and plowed into him and his wife. Harish Solanki, 86, was crushed against a compound wall at the picturesque town of Candolim last month, local media reported. His 81-year-old wife, Chandrakanta, was in critical condition after sustaining grievous injuries and being taken to a nearby hospital. The Traffic Police in Kos have since launched an investigation into the crash. Driver Vicky Jain, 48, was arrested after hitting the couple with his rental car, said to have taken extensive damage from the incident. Police said he was on the main road through Candolim to nearby Calangute when he veered onto the wrong side of the carriageway and hit the couple. Authorities understand that the couple had just left their hotel and were walking on the side of the road when they were struck. Solanki died in hospital that evening, while his wife was undergoing treatment at a medical centre and remained in critical condition. The incident reportedly occurred near the Fisherman's Cover Restaurant on Friday April 25. Both were rushed to the Candolim Primary Health Centre before being taken to the Goa Medical College (GMC) hospital in Bambolim due to the severity of their injuries. Police have contacted the family of the British nationals and are understood to have launched an investigation. The driver was identified as 48-year-old Vicky Omprakash Jain from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Daijiworld reports. He was arrested by Calangute police following a complaint. MailOnline contacted the Foreign Office for comment. Candolim is a small town in the state of Goa, home to sandy beaches and colonial architecture built by the Portuguese. Calangute, a coastal village to the south, is a popular tourist destination and the home of Bruno Coutinho, former captain of the Indian national football team.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine completes screening of three clusters for EU accession negotiations
Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, has announced that Ukraine has already completed the screening of three negotiation clusters for EU accession talks. Source: a statement by Kos before the start of a meeting of the EU Council on defence and foreign affairs on 20 May in Brussels Details: These are clusters 1 – Fundamentals, 2 – Internal Market and 6 – Foreign Relations. Quote from Kos: "Ukraine has done its homework, so it's ready for Cluster 1 Fundamentals to be open. And now the Council will have all the elements to make a decision. Last week, we sent two other screenings to the Council – Cluster 2 and Cluster 6 for both countries, Ukraine and Moldova." Details: Kos said that if the work were to advance with the same speed as it does now, all screenings could have been processed by autumn. She said that it would also be a message for Ukraine. Kos stressed that Ukraine's integration into the EU would be a key element of the security guarantees after peace talks started. She pointed out that it concerned not only the security of Ukraine but also the security of Europe and the European Union. Background: On 16 January 2025, the European Commission sent the EU Council its first screening report on Cluster 1, Fundamentals, for Ukraine. However, in February 2025, Hungary blocked the opening of the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and promised to block the opening of clusters until consultations with the population on this issue were held. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán already voted in a poll against Ukraine's membership in the EU. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
European commissioner congratulates Ukrainians on Vyshyvanka Day
The European Commissioner for EU Enlargement, Marta Kos, has recorded a video greeting in Ukrainian to mark Vyshyvanka Day. [Vysvhyvanka Day is a holiday dedicated to preserving the iconic Ukrainian embroidered shirt, known as "vyshyvanka" – ed.] Source: Marta Kos on X(Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Kos, dressed in an embroidered shirt and standing against a backdrop of a sunflower noted that vyshyvanka is "not just an embroidered ornament, but also Ukrainian identity, resilience and belonging". "Your culture is your strength. Your land is your soul. And your future is in our common European home. The European Union stands by Ukraine not only in defence, but also in what makes you unique Ukrainians and worthy Europeans," Kos said. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
EU enlargement commissioner urges Serbia to push forward reform, says protesting citizens want same
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union's enlargement commissioner on Tuesday urged Serbia's new government to push forward democratic reforms needed for membership in the bloc, saying that the Balkan nation's protesting citizens have been seeking similar changes. Marta Kos spoke after meeting Serbia's new Prime Minister Djuro Macut, a political novice who took office earlier this month facing monthslong anti-corruption demonstrations triggered by a train station concrete canopy collapse that killed 16 people in November. Many in Serbia blamed the crash in the northern city of Novi Sad on alleged rampant corruption in the government's infrastructure deals with China, which, along with Russia, is a close ally of Belgrade despite its formal intention to join the EU. The student-led protests have been demanding justice for the victims and the rule of law in the country firmly led by ruling populists. Kos said that the EU has a 'once in a generation opportunity to complete the unification of Europe' and wants to embrace Serbia and other candidate countries in the Western Balkans. But she said Serbia must first reform the judiciary in order to fight corruption, ensure freedom of the press and free and fair elections. 'Without these changes Serbia cannot progress in the European path and I know that what we are asking for is very close to the demands of the citizens who are and were protesting on the streets of Serbia,' Kos said. 'A democratic Serbia inside the European Union is possible and it is what citizens of Serbia ask for and deserve.' Kos also met Tuesday with Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic, who has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms, including pressure on the protesting students. In the latest incident on Monday in Novi Sad, police used batons and pepper spray while pushing protesters away from a sports faculty building. Several people were injured. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Many pro-democracy Serbs are disappointed with what they view as the EU's lukewarm response to Vucic's increasingly authoritarian ways. A group of students have cycled to Strasbourg, France, while others are currently running toward Brussels to draw the EU's attention to their struggle for justice and the rule of law in Serbia. 'I am going to support Serbia and its citizens in their European aspirations,' Kos said. 'And we expect and hope that the government of Serbia will do its part too.'
