Lithuania

Spain is the European basketball champions for 2015 after convincingly beating (80-63) the surprise package of the tournament Lithuania in the final played at the Lille Pierre Mauroy stadium in France, Sunday. It is the 3rd trophy for the European giants, with NBA superstar and European legend Pau Gasol finishing the match with double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

The number of persons employed increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU28 in the second quarter of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the EU statistical body.

With the recent decrease in tourist numbers visiting Turkey, many hotels are facing an oversupply of rooms this season after years of rapid expansion, according to sector representatives. 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at Strasbourg Wednesday called on EU member states to receive a portion of the refugees currently in Greece, Italy and Hungary, by presenting a proposal with the number he believed should be relocated to each country. According to the Commission’s estimates there are currently 54,000 in Hungary, 50,400 in Greece and 15,600 in Italy.

Delivering on the European Agenda on Migrations from May, the European Commission is putting forward a comprehensive package of proposals which will help address the refugee crisis that EU Member States and neighbouring countries are facing, including by tackling the root causes making people seek refuge in Europe.

16 days if Eurobasket kicked off on Saturday with six days of group play at several European locations before the action is transferred to Lille, France.
Group play will be split between Berlin (Germany), Zagreb (Croatia), Riga (Latvia) and Montpellier (France).

Group A

NATO's decision to open command-and-control centres in six of its eastern European members will "fuel the artificially created climate of confrontation" in relations with Russia, according to Moscow's ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko.

With fighter jets roaring overhead, NATO has inaugurated a military center in the Lithuanian capital amid growing regional concerns over Russia's military presence, sparked by the fighting in Ukraine.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said on Thursday that NATO would build all the capabilities needed to defend sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Plevneliev made his remarks at the at the ceremony which marked the official opening of a NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

A coordination center set up by NATO as part of its recent eastern redeployment is due to open on Thursday morning in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

President Rosen Plevneliev is to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside James Appathurai, NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy.