A devastating fire erupted at a nursing home in Tuzla, northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Tuesday night, resulting in the deaths of 10 residents and injuring 20 others, according to local police. The blaze began at approximately 20:45 local time (19:45 GMT) on the seventh floor of the retirement facility. Emergency responders, including firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, and staff, rushed to the scene, with around 20 individuals transported to a nearby medical center for treatment. Among the injured were several patients suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, three of whom required intensive care. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, prompting Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić to describe the incident as “a disaster of enormous proportions.” Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation once conditions permit. Željko Komšić, Chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency, extended condolences to the families of the victims and those injured. Eyewitness accounts, including that of resident Ruza Kajic, who lived on the third floor, described chaotic scenes as flames engulfed the upper floors, where many bed-ridden individuals resided. Footage from the scene captured the intensity of the blaze, with flames visible from the building’s windows. The tragedy has cast a somber shadow over the community, raising questions about safety protocols in such facilities.
标签： Europe
欧洲
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Freed in Trump deal: Prisoners in exile tell of brutality behind bars in Belarus
In September 2022, Larysa Shchyrakova and 51 other political prisoners were released from Belarusian jails as part of a deal between Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and former US President Donald Trump. The agreement aimed to ease sanctions, but for many, freedom came at a heavy cost. Shchyrakova, imprisoned for three years on charges of “extremism” and “discrediting” Belarus, missed her mother’s funeral and now cannot visit her grave. Stripped of her home, possessions, and documents, she faces homelessness in Lithuania, where she was forcibly relocated. Her story mirrors that of thousands detained after Lukashenko’s brutal crackdown on 2020 protests. Among them is Mikalai Dziadok, who endured five years of harsh treatment, including solitary confinement and psychological torture. Dziadok believes the regime’s goal was to traumatize prisoners to deter future political activism. Another prisoner, Mikola Statkevich, refused to leave Belarus and has since disappeared, presumed re-imprisoned. Despite their release, the prisoners’ lives remain shattered. Shchyrakova, now supported by the Belarusian expat community, has reunited with her son but faces an uncertain future. The deal, which lifted sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, has not led to broader political reforms. According to human rights group Viasna, over 1,220 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus, often on vague charges like “insulting the president” or “extremism.” The release, while a temporary reprieve, underscores the ongoing oppression in Lukashenko’s Belarus.
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Australia’s Helen Garner wins Baillie Gifford nonfiction prize for her ‘addictive’ diaries
Australian literary icon Helen Garner has been awarded the esteemed Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction for her compelling and unflinchingly honest diaries, titled ‘How to End a Story.’ The 82-year-old author received the £50,000 ($65,000) accolade at a ceremony in London on Tuesday. Garner’s work, which chronicles her life and career from 1978 to 1998, was praised by the judging panel for its sharp observations and ‘reckless candor.’ Robbie Millen, the jury chair, described the 800-page opus as ‘remarkable and addictive,’ blending the intimate, intellectual, and mundane into a groundbreaking diary format. Garner’s win marks the first time a diary has claimed the prize since its inception in 1999. She triumphed over five other finalists, including biographies of poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and writer Muriel Spark, as well as works on 1970s revolutionaries, European wolves, and the history of slavery in the Muslim world. Garner, whose 1977 debut novel ‘Monkey Grip’ is hailed as a modern Australian classic, has long been celebrated in her homeland but is only now gaining broader international recognition. Her diverse body of work includes novellas, short stories, screenplays, and true crime books. Singer Dua Lipa, a devoted fan, recently selected Garner’s ‘This House of Grief’ for her book club, calling it ‘a thrilling discovery.’ Garner’s latest co-authored work, ‘The Mushroom Tapes,’ explores a notorious Australian murder case and is set for release this month in Australia and the U.K. Millen expressed hope that the prize would solidify Garner’s status as a literary giant. This marks the second consecutive year an Australian has won the Baillie Gifford Prize, following Richard Flanagan’s victory in 2023.
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Suspected drone sightings disrupt flights at Belgium airports
Airports across Belgium were thrown into disarray on Tuesday as suspected drone sightings forced the suspension of all flights at Brussels Airport, the nation’s busiest aviation hub. The disruption began around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) following a reported drone sighting, prompting an immediate halt to air traffic. Although operations briefly resumed an hour later, they were swiftly suspended again due to further sightings. Liege Airport also experienced similar disruptions, with no clear timeline for when normal operations might resume. Local media further reported drone sightings at Kleine-Brogel and Florennes military airbases, compounding the crisis. This incident marks the latest in a series of drone-related disruptions at European airports, including Munich, Copenhagen, and Oslo. A statement on the Brussels Airport website confirmed the suspension of all departing and arriving flights, with officials closely monitoring the situation and promising updates as they become available. Images from inside the airport showed camp beds being prepared for stranded passengers. Charleroi, Belgium’s second-largest airport, also briefly halted air traffic as a precaution. Initially, flights were diverted to Liege, but operations there were subsequently suspended due to additional drone sightings. Flights have since been redirected to nearby airports, including Ostend and Charleroi in Belgium, as well as Eindhoven and Maastricht in the Netherlands. This incident marks the fourth consecutive night of drone sightings over Kleine-Brogel, a key military base near the Dutch border. Belgium’s Defence Minister, Theo Francken, announced on Monday that an investigation is underway, describing the incidents as ‘a clear mission targeting Kleine Broge.’ Belgian news site VRT also reported drone sightings near Ostend and Antwerp’s Deurne airports over the weekend, further highlighting the growing threat posed by unauthorized drone activity.
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Bella Culley home after early Georgia jail release
Bella Culley, a 19-year-old pregnant teenager from Billingham, Teesside, has returned home after being released from prison in Georgia. Culley, who admitted to drug trafficking charges, had initially faced up to 20 years in jail. However, prosecutors revised the terms of her plea bargain, leading to her release. She had spent nearly six months in custody, including time in Georgia’s Rustavi Prison Number Five, before being transferred to a ‘mother and baby’ unit due to her advanced pregnancy. Culley was detained on May 10 after authorities discovered 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish in her luggage at Tbilisi International Airport. Her family paid £137,000 to reduce her sentence to two years. On Monday, she walked free from court in Tbilisi, accompanied by her mother, and arrived at Luton Airport on an Easyjet flight. Culley claimed she was coerced into trafficking drugs by gangsters who allegedly tortured her with a hot iron. Georgian police have launched a separate investigation into her allegations of coercion.
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Fire at a retiree boarding house in Bosnia kills several people, media reports say
A tragic fire broke out on Tuesday at a retirement boarding house in Tuzla, a town in northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina, resulting in multiple fatalities. According to reports from Bosnian media, including the prominent daily newspaper Dnevni Avaz, at least eight individuals lost their lives in the incident. The fire originated on one of the higher floors of the building, causing significant damage and prompting an urgent evacuation by firefighters. Although police sources were cited in the media reports, official confirmation of the details has yet to be released. Visuals from the scene depicted intense flames engulfing one of the facility’s floors, highlighting the severity of the disaster. The incident has raised concerns about safety standards in such facilities and has left the local community in mourning.
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Iran releases two French nationals from detention
In a significant diplomatic development, Iran has released two French nationals, Cécile Kohler, 41, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, who had been detained since May 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron announced their release from Evin prison on Tuesday, with France’s foreign minister confirming their safety at the embassy in Tehran, pending their final return to France. Macron expressed relief at this initial step and emphasized ongoing dialogue to expedite their repatriation. The couple, arrested during a tourist trip, were the last French nationals held in Iran. Last month, Iranian state media reported they were convicted of espionage for France and Israel, receiving lengthy prison sentences. Their release follows a potential prisoner exchange deal involving Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman detained in France on terrorism charges, who was conditionally released last month. France has repeatedly accused Iran of state hostage-taking and inhumane detention conditions, allegations Tehran denies. The legal team of Kohler and Paris, based in Paris, stated their 1,277-day arbitrary detention had ended, with their families maintaining their innocence. This development marks a pivotal moment in Franco-Iranian relations, though underlying tensions persist.
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Paris prosecutor’s office investigates TikTok over youth suicide content
The Paris prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation into TikTok, following allegations that the platform facilitates the dissemination of content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may be influencing vulnerable young individuals towards self-harm. This development comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by several French families, a parliamentary inquiry into TikTok’s psychological impact on children, and reports from Amnesty International and the French Senate highlighting similar concerns. The investigation will scrutinize content that promotes suicide and assess whether TikTok has complied with its obligations to report such violations to the authorities. TikTok has denied the allegations, emphasizing its commitment to teen safety through numerous pre-set features and the removal of 90% of violative videos before they are viewed. The Paris police cybercrime brigade will explore potential crimes, including the promotion of methods for self-harm and illicit transactions linked to organized crime. Convictions could result in significant prison sentences and fines. This case follows a lawsuit last year by seven French families, two of whom lost children, accusing TikTok of inadequate content moderation and exposing minors to harmful material. One mother, Stephanie Mistre, discovered that TikTok’s algorithm had repeatedly shown her deceased daughter, Marie Le Tiec, videos encouraging suicide. TikTok and other social media platforms are increasingly under global scrutiny for their role in inciting violence and bullying, particularly among younger users.
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Zelensky visits troops near embattled front line town of Pokrovsk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited troops near the embattled town of Pokrovsk, a key strategic location in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Accompanied by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelensky met with soldiers at a command post in the Dobropillya sector, approximately 20 kilometers north of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The visit underscores the town’s critical importance as a logistical hub and frontline stronghold in the war-torn Donbas region.
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Narco-sub carrying 1.7 tonnes of cocaine seized in Atlantic
In a significant maritime operation, Portuguese authorities have intercepted a semi-submersible vessel transporting over 1.7 tonnes of cocaine in the mid-Atlantic, approximately 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Lisbon. The vessel, en route to the Iberian Peninsula, was seized in a coordinated effort involving the Portuguese police, navy, and international agencies, including the UK’s National Crime Agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Four crew members, identified as two Ecuadorians, a Venezuelan, and a Colombian, were arrested and remanded in pre-trial custody following their court appearance in the Azores. Vítor Ananias, head of Portugal’s drug trafficking police unit, highlighted the multinational nature of the operation, suggesting the involvement of a transnational criminal organization. The narco-sub, deemed too fragile to tow back to shore due to adverse weather conditions, eventually sank in the open sea. This incident follows a similar seizure in March, where a vessel carrying 6.5 tonnes of cocaine was intercepted 1,200 nautical miles from Lisbon. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on drug smuggling, with recent strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean drawing criticism from Latin American leaders over their legality and human rights implications.