Morning bird: Russia will limit calls over Telegram and WhatsApp. In July, the highest number of civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine since May 2022.
Calls over Telegram have been almost dysfunctional in Russia since August 11th, and calls on WhatsApp cannot be made due to interrupted sound and piercing buzzing. The country wants to reduce its dependence on foreign platforms in favor of its own, which it is developing. According to the UN Mission for Human Rights Monitoring in Ukraine, July saw the highest number of civilians killed or injured in the country since May 2022.
Russians are developing an app to replace popular online platforms
Russian authorities will start restricting calls via the Telegram app, owned by Russian native with French citizenship Pavel Durov, and the WhatsApp application operated by the American company Meta. By doing so, the country wants to reduce dependency on foreign platforms in favor of its own, which it is developing, as informed by the server Ceskenoviny.cz.
Russia has long sought to introduce so-called digital sovereignty by supporting domestic services. The effort to replace foreign technological platforms has become more urgent after some Western companies withdrew from the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The number of victims of the war in Ukraine is increasing
Due to fighting over the past month, at least 286 people died and another 1388 were injured according to the UN Mission for Monitoring Human Rights in Ukraine, the vast majority in the territory controlled by Kiev, which is attacked by the Russian invasion army.
"The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine has reached a new three-year high for the second month in a row,"
said the mission leader Danielle Bellová.
"Just in the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its total invasion of Ukraine, more people have been killed and injured (monthly) than in the previous month,"
she added. Russia invaded the neighbouring country on 24th February 2022, reminded the portal Ceskenoviny.cz.
Lula announces credit provision for exporters hit by U.S. tariffs
The Brazilian government has introduced a plan to support local companies affected by a 50 percent tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on their businesses. The plan, called "Sovereign Brazil," among other things, includes a $5.5 billion credit rescue, or about 115 billion crowns in conversion. This leftist leader again stated that they never discussed trade restrictions with Trump, and asserted that the U.S. President does not want to negotiate, wrote the AP agency.
Real Madrid refuses for the Spanish league to be played in the USA
Real Madrid announced that it "firmly rejects" the hosting of regular Spanish league matches in the United States. This famous football club stated that the match would create an unacceptable precedent, which would open the door to exceptions based on non-sporting interests, clearly affecting the sporting integrity and risking devaluing the competition. Another team, Villarreal, on the contrary, promises free travel and tickets for season ticket holders if its match against Barcelona were to take place in Miami, reported Al Jazeera.
Sources: Al Jazeera, AP, Ceskenoviny.cz
