Youpe Last Week
Babies in Serbia; Bears in Estonia
Another week and another look at another week’s goings-on in Europe, or as Grandma Riva, born in Horodenka, Ukraine, circa 1888 — featured here holding a very young Jack Friedman after being called away from her weekly poker game — called it, “Youpe.”
After European countries said they would boycott all FIFA competitions if Gianni Infantino went ahead with his plan to sell 20% of the World Cup to a privately backed commercial enterprise, he dropped the idea. Called the “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” the proposal was designed to generate new financial resources for what it called the “moderate federations” of the association. In the statement released on Friday, Infantino said, “The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a foundation to further strengthen our member associations [...]. Having listened carefully to all opinions, it became clear that the project created divisions of such a nature that, regardless of the level of support, they no longer serve the objective originally set. Our goal has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. Consequently, this proposal will not be implemented.” US Senator Jamie Raskin charged FIFA was “going directly into business with the Trump family,” adding, “Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough.” Spain deployed military and police in Ceuta in North Africa as migrants surged by sea and land from Morocco into the territory. Reportedly more than 60,000 had crossed into Ceuta last Thursday. As of late last week, more than 25,000 were returned to Morocco. Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish protectorates in Morocco, have the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe . . .
