by AFP | 11.Jul 2023 | Fact check
Czech President Petr Pavel spoke at a recent Czech Radio conference about the need to provide Ukraine with as much support as possible and warned of the spread of pro-Russian disinformation. That same day, a video went viral on social media that seemed to show Pavel had said the opposite. By cutting key words from the original footage, the edited clip made it sound as though Pavel had accused the West of “manipulating” Ukraine to “fight against Russia”.
by AFP, Agerpres, Belga, BTA, MIA | 07.Jul 2023 | Europe in brief
The EU’s third-largest suspension bridge opened in Romania. Meta does not launch Twitter competitor in the bloc due to regulatory issues. Further: The Commission intends to close the CVM and wants to take action on illegal trade in shark fins. North Macedonia signs cooperation agreement on the Union’s LIFE Programme for the protection of the environment and climate activities.
by AFP, Agerpres, ANSA, BTA, dpa, EFE, Europa Press, STA | 07.Jul 2023 | Key Stories
Kiev, backed by NATO allies in Eastern Europe, has demanded a commitment at next week’s NATO summit in Vilnius that Ukraine will join the military alliance once the war with Russia is over. The military alliance is still considering an appropriate response to Kiev’s demands.
by AFP, APA, EFE, dpa | 04.Jul 2023 | Europe in brief
Austrian foreign minister says European airspace defence system Sky Shield is about “pooling and sharing.” In other news: Spain kicks off its EU Council presidency, the EU wants to reduce food waste by 30 percent until 2030 and the EU summit ends without consensus on asylum policy.
by AFP | 04.Jul 2023 | Fact check
Four- and five-digit codes on stickers affixed to fruit and vegetables are used to control inventory and facilitate the checkout process. Yet, misleading posts that went viral on Facebook continue to claim that the numbers make it possible to know whether the produce had been genetically modified. This is false, industry representatives said. While the consumer can identify whether an item is organic from the code, it is not possible to know whether the produce was genetically modified. In any case, the cultivation and sale of GMO produce is banned in France. EU law is also strict on the matter of labelling when it comes to GMOs.
