Early bird: Schools are closing in Greece due to heat. Russian ships are anchoring near Cuba.
Greece is closing schools and Athens' most famous monument, the ancient Acropolis, due to the heat. Several Russian warships, including a nuclear submarine, have appeared off the coast of Cuba. The maneuvers evoke a key crisis of the Cold War. The European Commission has threatened high tariffs on the import of electric cars from China. French President Emmanuel Macron has called on all French center parties to join him in a broad coalition with governmental ambitions in the context of early elections, which he announced after the recent European elections.
Due to extreme heat, Greeks are closing schools and the Acropolis
Greece on Wednesday closed the area of the ancient Acropolis in the middle of Athens, interrupted lessons, and stationed medics in the capital, as it faces the first heat wave of this summer. It was expected that temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday in some parts of the Mediterranean country will reach 43 degrees Celsius, causing a southern wind to bring hot air and dust from North Africa.
The Acropolis Temple, which is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world and includes the Parthenon Temple, was closed from noon to 5 p.m. (09:00-14:00 CET) and Red Cross workers were giving out bottles of water to tourists, Reuters agency informed.
Russian ships are located near Cuba, as in the times of the Cold War
A group of Russian navy ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, arrived in Cuba on Wednesday morning, signaling a strengthening of ties between the two Cold War-era allies. The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov fired a 21-gun salute upon entering the Havana port, to which the Cubans responded with gunfire from a cannon of an 18th-century colonial fortress built by the Spaniards to guard the port.
Gorshkov is one of the most modern ships of the Russian Navy, followed by the Kazan nuclear-powered submarine, a rescue tug and an oil tanker. Maneuvers around Cuba were one of the biggest crises of the Cold War, which was averted by the negotiations of John F. Kennedy with Nikita Khrushchev, CNN reported.
Chinese electric cars face high tariffs in Europe
Chinese electric cars may become more expensive in the European Union (EU) after politicians labeled them a threat to its own industry. The EU made this announcement at a time when it continues to investigate what it considers to be an influx of cheap, government-subsidized Chinese cars into the trading bloc.
China argues that the tariffs violate international trade rules and has labeled the investigation as "protectionism". Electric car manufacturers, who cooperated in the investigation initiated by the incumbent European Commission in October, will face an average 21% tariff, while those who did not cooperate will face a tariff of 38.1%, writes the BBC website.
Macron seeks allies against the success of the far right in French European elections
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on rival parties to join his electoral alliance against the far-right National Assembly of Marine Le Pen. By calling for the creation of a broad coalition that would participate in government, Macron wants to defend his risky move of calling early elections.
The swift political developments came after Macron's shocking decision to call for extraordinary parliamentary elections in a few weeks. The vote could hand real power to Le Pen's party after years on the sidelines, Reuters reported.
Sources: cnn.com, bbc.com, reuters.com
