Month: July 2022

Super League clubs face UEFA in soccer’s big legal match

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Advanced

FILE – A man walks by the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, Oct. 5, 2015. A group of top soccer clubs face Champions League organizer UEFA in court on Monday, July 11, 2022, for a legal match that risks the biggest upheaval in European soccer for more than 25 years. The Super League project failed at launch 15 months ago but the company formed by the 12 rebel clubs — now led by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus — has brought a case to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — A group of top soccer clubs face Champions League organizer UEFA in court on Monday for a legal match that risks the biggest upheaval in European soccer for more than 25 years.

The Super League project failed at launch 15 months ago but the company formed by the 12 rebel clubs — now led by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus — has brought a case to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Judges from 15 of the 27 EU member states will hear arguments over two days with a majority of those national governments supporting UEFA.

The clubs will accuse UEFA of alleged abuses of market dominance with control of soccer competitions that breach European law. Continue reading

Greece gets European assistance for summer wildfire season

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Intermediate

Romanian firefighters stand in front of fire engines during a ceremony, in Athens, on Saturday, July 2, 2022. Twenty eight Romanian firefighters, the first of more than 200 firefighters from other European countries that will help their Greek colleagues in fighting wildfires, were welcomed by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and the leadership of Greece’s Fire Service. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

By DEMETRIS NELLAS Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is receiving European assistance for the summer wildfire season, with the first group of firefighters arriving in Athens.

The 28 Romanian firefighters were welcomed Saturday by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and the leadership of Greece’s Fire Service. A total of more than 200 firefighters from six European countries will eventually be deployed to Greece.

“Romania is happy to join the pre-positioning program with a specialized firefighting force,” Romanian team leader Col. Alexandru-Adrian Csilik said. “We have a previous experience here in Greece.”

The Romanians, along with other countries, including Russia and Turkey, helped Greece fight widespread wildfires in August 2021, which broke out across the country and devastated the northern part of Evia, Greece’s second-largest island, as well as the southern Peloponnese peninsula. Continue reading

Add rent to the rising costs bedeviling small businesses

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Advanced

Martin Garcia, owner of gift and décor store Gramercy Gift Gallery, poses for a photo at his shop, Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in San Antonio. Landlords were forgiving about rent during the first two years of the pandemic, but now many are asking for back due rent. Meanwhile, most of the government aid programs that helped small businesses get through the pandemic have ended. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The rent has come due for America’s small businesses and at a very inopportune time.

Landlords were lenient about rent payments during the first two years of the pandemic. Now, many are asking for back rent, and some are raising the current rent as well. Meanwhile, most of the government aid programs that helped small businesses get through the pandemic have ended while inflation has sharply pushed up the cost of supplies, shipping, and labor.

Martin Garcia, owner of gift and décor store Gramercy Gift Gallery in San Antonio, Texas, survived the first part of the pandemic in part by paying his landlord whatever rent he could each month. Then in August 2021, after the federal moratorium on evictions ended, his landlord asked for the full amount of back rent that he owed.

“I needed $10,000 in 15 days,” Garcia said. He took whatever loans he could find – often at high interest rates – and barely met the deadline. Continue reading