Moldova has summoned the Russian ambassador in Chisinau after a media report surfaced alleging the embassy installed spying devices on its rooftop, according to the Moldovan foreign ministry.

It comes after the Insider media outlet and Moldova’s Jurnal TV reported this week after a joint investigation that 28 satellite dishes and other communication devices had been installed on the Russian embassy’s rooftop and a neighboring residential building used by embassy’s staff.

The Moldovan foreign ministry “in close coordination with other competent institutions, is analyzing the nature and extent of these espionage actions, including the activity of the persons mentioned in the investigation, in order to respond appropriately and promptly to the situation,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We consider absolutely unacceptable any acts of espionage and foreign interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova, which represent a direct challenge to the sovereignty and national security of our state,” it added.

Moscow’s ambassador in Chisinau Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned on Tuesday “to provide clarifications and explanations on the situation,” the ministry said.

“Depending on further developments, the Moldovan authorities will consider several options for a response,” it concluded.

Japan provided one of the performances of the Women’s World Cup so far to stun Spain 4-0 in Wellington on Monday.

A first-half brace from Hinata Miyazawa either side of a deflected shot from Riko Ueki had Japan 3-0 ahead by the 40th minute as its tactic of catching Spain on the counterattack paid dividends in this Group C match

Despite Spanish pressure and possession, Japan further extended the lead through a late Mina Tanaka goal to close out an impressive win.

By topping the group Japan will now face Norway in the last 16 round of the tournament on Saturday. Spain will play Switzerland on the same day.

Meanwhile in Hamilton, Zambia earned its first ever Women’s World Cup victory thanks to a 3-1 win over Costa Rica.

Lushomo Mweemba scored the country’s first ever goal at the tournament through a delightful volley directly from a corner before Barbra Banda doubled the lead from the penalty spot. Banda’s penalty was the 1,000th Women’s World Cup goal.

Although an error from Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda gave Costa Rica a route back into the game, with Melissa Herrera scoring, Zambia secured a famous victory with Racheal Kundananji wrapping up the evening in fine fashion with her late goal in added time.

Group C wrapped up

Prior to Monday’s game, both Japan and Spain had already booked their slots in the tournament’s knockout stages, with this match to decide who would top Group C.

Japan might have made five changes to the team that had beaten Costa Rica in its previous game, but the Asian side’s impressive tactical discipline and energetic defending restricted any clear openings for Spain, despite the European team dominating possession.

Japan looked dangerous on the counterattack and in the 12th minute, Miyazawa capitalized on a beautifully weighted pass from Jun Endo to race through on goal, slotting the ball past Misa Rodríguez in goal as Spain conceded for the first time at this year’s tournament.

Ueki doubled the Nadeshiko’s lead on the half-hour mark, once again punishing La Roja in a swift counterattack with her deflected effort evading a despairing Rodríguez.

The counterattacking strategy continued to pay dividends for Japan with Miyazawa expertly finishing a few minutes before halftime.

And sespite Spanish pressure, it was Japan who got the next goal, Tanaka adding a fourth to further embarrass the European team.

Japan’s last 16 meeting against Norway in the next round of the tournament will see the 2011 world champion – the Asian side beat the US Women’s National Team in that final – take on the 1995 world champion.

Costa Rica and Zambia entered Monday’s game knowing that although both sides’ qualification hopes had gone, the possibility of a first ever Women’s World Cup win was up for grabs.

Mweemba’s exquisite volley in the opening five minutes had the Copper Queens well on their way before Banda – having been fouled in the box by Katherine Alvarado – further extending Zambia’s lead.

Costa Rica ramped up the pressure after the interval and found a route back into the game thanks to a mistake from Musonda, allowing Herrera to score Costa Rica’s first goal at this year’s tournament.

Herrera thought she had brought Costa Rica level when she scored in the 69th minute, only for the offside flag to rule out her effort.

In added time, Kundananji capped off a memorable evening for Zambia, placing the ball past the Costa Rican goalkeeper to send the Zambia fans wild in celebration as their team completed this historic victory.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward suffered facial fractures after being hit by a 91mph pitch on Saturday, his team said.

The 29-year-old was taken off the field in the fifth inning of the 6-1 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre after being hit on the head by Alek Manoah’s pitch.

Taylor was taken to hospital for further testing, the team said, and discharged later in the day.

“He’s expected to need surgery, and manager Phil Nevin said there’s no timetable for his return,” the team said on its website.

“That’s probably the worst feeling ever,” Manoah said, per Reuters. “Definitely want to pray for him and his family. That’s the last thing you want to do, no matter the situation, no matter the team, no matter anything. I feel really bad about it.”

Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, leaving the Angels without Ward, Mike Trout (fractured left hamate bone), Anthony Rendon (bruised left leg), Zach Neto (back) and Brandon Drury (left shoulder contusion) for the three-game series against Atlanta Braves starting Monday.

American cyclist Magnus White, hailed as a “rising star” of the sport, has died in a training accident in Boulder, Colorado, at the age of 17, USA Cycling announced on Sunday.

The governing body said that White was preparing to compete in the cross-country discipline at the junior Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when he was struck by a vehicle.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We ride for Magnus.”

White specialized in off-road cycling and competed for the US team at the Cyclocross World Championships in 2022 and 2023. He started racing at a national level at the age of 10, according to USA Cycling.

This year was the first time he had earned a place in the Mountain Bike World Championships team. He was due to compete in Glasgow on August 10.

“White fell in love with cycling at an early age through Boulder Junior Cycling,” the USA Cycling statement added.

“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community.”

Running from August 3 to August 13, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will be hosted in Glasgow and across Scotland.

The road trip-meets-camping experience afforded by camper van travel is having a moment.

Interest in these compact recreational vehicles, typically outfitted with home-away-from-home comforts like sleeping spaces and kitchenettes, has surged in recent years, bolstered by social media streams flooded with images and videos depicting idealized, nature-immersive #vanlife travel scenes.

Plus, at the pandemic’s height, such self-contained vans – a sort of hotel room on wheels – were perceived to offer a means of travel that cut away at health risks.

Yet, for the nature-loving travelers who tend to gravitate toward these outdoor adventure-ready vans, there’s a crisis of conscience at play, given that the oversize, gas-guzzling vehicles are known for spewing out carbon emissions, as a worsening global climate crisis unfolds.

Just as movement toward electric vehicles (EVs) has swept the automobile industry—with fossil fuel-powered internal combustion engines being increasingly replaced by battery-powered electric motors—the dawn of a new electrified camper van age is emerging, as well.

“We are indeed starting to see some momentum from the RV [recreational vehicle] industry towards designing and building electric camper vans,” says Kraig Becker, digital editor at RV.com/RV Magazine, citing such projects in the works from big brands like Winnebago and Volkswagen. Those will soon join a niche contingent of DIY custom electric camper van conversions that are already on the market.

Becker says that consumer demand for these electrified camper vans is being driven largely by younger generations who are “looking for a more eco-friendly way to go camping.”

Peter Grunert, coordinating author of Lonely Planet’s new book “Electric Vehicle Road Trips—Europe,” concurs that the vehicles appeal to travelers with eco-sensibility.

“Given that EV camper vans produce zero emissions at the tailpipe, they also allow a sense of environmental consciousness that will be especially appreciated when passing through fragile natural habitats or urban areas,” he says.

Becker says that while barriers like underdeveloped charging infrastructure and limited EV driving range remain, customers are further drawn in by the fact that an electric camper van “is quieter than a gas-powered model, and makes it easier to camp off-grid.”

Other customers, like Montreal-based Nicolas Moreau, 35, who recently traveled through Quebec with his family in an electric camper van rental from Bromont Campervan, says he was most motivated by the savings at the pump.

Indeed, high and fluctuating global gas prices, particularly in European destinations, can tack on considerable expense to any road trip vacation. Recharging a camper van with electricity, rather than fueling up a gas tank, can translate to significant savings on travel costs.

Currently, the Quebec region is one of just a handful of North American destinations where electric camper vans are available. Europe has more, though still limited, inventory.

Camper van rental agencies like Europe-based Goboony and Outdoorsy in the U.S. each offer some electric camper vans for rent. Or, these six pioneering electric camper van rental companies around the globe each promise the benefits of a camper van vacation—all-in-one appeal, nature immersion, and the freedom of unbound travel—minus the hefty carbon footprint.

Quebec, Canada: Bromont Campervan

The Company: Starting this summer, camper van rental company Bromont Campervan, based in Bromont, Canada (an hour outside of Montreal), is offering two electric van rentals. The company aims to convert its entire 14-van fleet to electric by 2025.

The Vans: Bromont rents two converted Ford E-Transit vans on a weekly basis, configured for either two or four passengers. Vans feature appointments like a retractable bed, kitchenette, toilet/shower, fridge, and four-season insulation.

The Journey: Try a weeklong, 450-mile road trip from Quebec City, catching nearby Quebec-region attractions like towering Montmorency Falls, the glacial valley at Jacques-Cartier National Park, or bucolic Ile d’Orleans.

Norway: Norway Overland

The Company: Norway is leading the world in EV ownership and charging infrastructure, with the camper van rental options to match, including several such companies based in Bergen, the Lofoten islands, and beyond.

For something especially unique, check out Norway Overland, which launched this year in the village of Tonstad and rents out fully electric overland pickups fitted with camper shells. They’re well-suited to more rugged off-roading in the Norwegian wilderness, famed for its mountains, fjords, and glaciers.

The Vans: While not exactly vans, Norway Overland rents two Maxus T90 pickups, topped with truck-bed campers. Each vehicle, outfitted with a roof tent for sleeping, shower/toilet, kitchen area, and assorted camping gear, can accommodate up to five passengers.

The Journey: Norway Overland recommends a 380-mile, weeklong journey round-trip from the city of Stavanger, which takes in several fjords, top hiking spots (like to the Pulpit Rock cliff), traditional Norwegian towns (like those in the Setesdal valley), and interior highland scenery.

England: Wild Drives

The Company: Founded in early 2022, Brighton-based Wild Drives offers two upscale, fully converted electric camper vans for outings in the English countryside.

The Vans: The company rents out a converted, two-passenger VW ID Buzz cargo van, as well as a four-passenger Citroen e-Dispatch, each touting sustainably-sourced bamboo finishings, natural fiber insulation, and solar panels, along with kitchenettes and seating/sleeping space.

The Journey: Wild Drives has designed a 155-mile, 7-day itinerary round-trip from England’s hopping Brighton Beach, with loads of suggestions on best charging points, eco-friendly campsites, and nature-immersive attractions and activities, including a sustainable wine tasting, foraging excursion, and stop-off at prehistoric Stonehenge.

California, United States: Simple Campers

The Company: Rental company Simple Campers, based just north of San Francisco, has taken hold of the world’s very first batch of rentable Grounded electric camper vans. The Grounded brand, a Detroit-based start-up helmed by former engineers from Tesla and SpaceX, has been garnering buzz for its vans’ highly customizable modular interiors and comparative affordability; Grounded says more rental camper vans will be available across the U.S. in months to come.

The Vans: Simple Campers now offers a trio of two-passenger Grounded G1 camper vans, which are based on converted Ford E-Transits and inspired by Scandinavian design. Features include solar panels, queen-sized bed, outdoor shower, toilet, fully outfitted kitchen, and various app-based controls (like remote start for heating or air conditioning).

The Journey: Simple Campers recommends heading up California’s Pacific coastline along famed road-trip route Highway 1, just miles away, with nearby highlights like Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay. Dip into the Russian River Valley, loaded with Sonoma’s top wineries, before spinning back down to the company’s base in Mill Valley, on a roughly 220-mile journey, best done over three days.

Scotland: eDub Trips

The Company: Pioneering electric camper van rental company eDub Trips launched way back in 2013, when it began converting classic 1970s Volkswagen camper vans from standard engines to electric motors. The two-van company (with plans for a third underway for 2024) is based out of England, but launched service in Scotland this year.

The Vans: Book a five-passenger 1979 Volkswagen T2 electric camper van out of Glenfinnan, Scotland, complete with two double beds, kitchenette, and ample storage space.

The Journey: The company suggests exploring the Scottish countryside round-trip from Fort William on a 5-day, 340-mile trip that includes stops in Glenfinnan (chockfull of Harry Potter film scenes, including its famed viaduct), a car ferry to the Isle of Skye, a boat trip on Loch Ness, and more. Bonus: Daily distances on this route are short enough that no additional charging stops would be required beyond the overnight campsite plug-in.

Washington State, United States: PacWesty

The Company: Five-year-old adventure camper van company PacWesty, based on Bainbridge Island in Washington State (under 10 miles from Seattle), launched its zero-emissions initiative with a trio of electric vehicles in 2019. (The company shop is additionally electrifying four VW Westfalia vans, anticipated for 2024 delivery to Bainbridge Island and the company’s new outpost in Palm Springs, California.)

The Vans: PacWesty currently has two four-passenger converted Ram ProMaster 1500s on offer, pop-top models which come with two sleeping areas (an upper tent bunk and convertible sofa bed), kitchenettes, and lots of storage. For longer trips, try their newest two-passenger, off-road-ready Rivian R1T electric pickup truck, tricked out with a rooftop tent and camping kit.

The Journey: PacWesty recommends a 405-mile, 10-day journey round-trip from Bainbridge Island that strings together several nature-immersive stops along Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, including mountains (hike Hurricane Hill in Olympic National Park), beaches (swim at Rialto Beach), lakes, waterfalls, rain forests, and hot springs.

A male passenger groped a mother and her underage daughter while aboard an international flight last summer after being overserved alcohol by Delta Air Lines, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week in New York.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. Eastern District Court of New York, alleges that Delta flight attendants continued to serve alcohol to an intoxicated passenger even after the mother and her 16-year-old daughter repeatedly told them that the man was making them feel “unsafe” and inappropriately touching them.

The unnamed plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that throughout the duration of the nearly nine-hour flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Athens, Greece, the man made obscene gestures, sexually assaulted, and yelled at the 16-year-old girl seated next to him on the flight. Delta flight attendants served the man “approximately ten vodka on ice drinks” among other alcoholic beverages, during the course of the flight according to the lawsuit.

The mother, who was sitting on the other seat next to her daughter, said she repeatedly “begged” flight attendants to stop serving the man alcohol.

Delta flight attendants served the man “approximately ten vodka on ice drinks” – among other alcoholic beverages –during the course of the flight, according to the lawsuit.

The mother and daughter both allege in the complaint that flight attendants dismissed their claims and downplayed their concerns about the man.

At one point on the flight the lawsuit alleges that the young girl began having a “panic attack” after becoming “terrified that no one was helping her or her mother find safety and that they were stuck on this aircraft, in a small row alone with the intoxicated Delta passenger.”

Eventually another passenger on the flight who saw the young girl crying and afraid offered to switch seats with her for the rest of the flight, according to the lawsuit.

When the flight landed in Greece, the man was allowed to leave the aircraft with no police intervention despite the mother’s request that authorities arrest him in Athens, the lawsuit said.

At least 11 “complete bodies” and dozens of body parts, including human heads, were recovered on Wednesday from a major prison in Ecuador, after days of deadly prison clashes.

The remains were collected at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where violence first erupted on Saturday.

Thirty-one people are dead, according to a tweet from the Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday. However, the National Forensic Service of Ecuador has cautioned that the official death toll remains to be fully determined, as many body parts must still be identified.

Ecuador’s prison system has long been the main theater of violence in the country, with hundreds of inmates killed in recent years as members of competing criminal organizations square off.

Security forces have often struggled to confront the gangs inside overcrowded prisons, where inmates often take control of branches of the penitentiaries and run criminal networks from behind bars, according to Ecuadorian authorities.

On Tuesday, Ecuador’s prison service announced that it had successfully executed an operation to extract prison guards taken hostage by inmates, freeing at least 106 guards across five different prisons.

“Our action continues…” the prison authority added on Twitter.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has also signed a decree declaring a state of emergency across the country’s entire penitentiary system for the next 60 days.

Over the past two years, Lasso has named five different directors of the prison service, but none have proven able to reduce the violence.

Russia may be forced to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeds, senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday – the latest in a series of nuclear threats made during Moscow’s invasion by the key ally of President Vladimir Putin.

“Just imagine that the offensive… in tandem with NATO, succeeded and ended up with part of our land being taken away. Then we would have to use nuclear weapons by virtue of the stipulations of the Russian Presidential Decree,” said Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, in a Telegram post.

“There simply wouldn’t be any other solution,” the former Russian president added. “Our enemies should pray to our fighters that they do not allow the world to go up in nuclear flames.”

Medvedev, who served as president of Russia from 2008 to 2012, has struck a bellicose tone throughout Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, repeatedly raising the specter of nuclear conflict.

Last April, he warned of Russian nuclear expansion should Sweden and Finland join NATO. Helsinki joined the defense alliance later that month, while Stockholm’s path to NATO membership was cleared earlier this month after Turkey dropped its objections.

In September, Medvedev said strategic nuclear weapons could be used to defend territories incorporated into Russia from Ukraine.

And in January, as NATO member states debated new weapons shipments to Ukraine, Medvedev said defeat for Russia in the war could lead to nuclear conflict.

“The loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram in January. “Nuclear powers do not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends.

“This should be obvious to anyone. Even to a Western politician who has retained at least some trace of intelligence.”

Medvedev’s remarks Sunday again raise the possibility that Russia could potentially lose the war following nearly 18 months of attrition – a rare admission from a senior Russian official.

They also came just hours after Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of attacking Moscow with drones. Three drones were intercepted Sunday, but a business and shopping development in the west of the Russian capital was hit, the ministry said.

Nuclear rhetoric

The United States has previously warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, both through private direct communications, as well as public channels, including at last year’s UN General Assembly.

Last month, Putin said Russia had moved a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, claiming they were placed there for “deterrence.”

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said the rest of the tactical nuclear weapons Russia intends to move to Belarus would be transferred “by the end of the summer or by the end of the year.”

The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said it had “no reason to doubt” Putin’s claim that nuclear weapons were in Belarus.

But US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at the time that the US has “not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture nor any indication Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last month that in the face of aggression, he would show “no hesitation” in using the Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed on Belarusian soil.

But the senior DIA officials said they do not believe Lukashenko would have any control over the arsenal. It would most likely be entirely controlled by Russia, the officials said.

Russia has about 4,477 deployed and reserve nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

A Brussels court on Tuesday found six out of ten suspects guilty of “terrorist murder” in the 2016 Brussels attacks, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.

Mohamed Abrini, Oussama Atar, Osama Krayem, Salah Abdeslam, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Bilal El Makhoukhi were all found guilty of terrorist murder, according to RTBF.

The Brussels court established a terrorist motive behind the attacks, ruling that the group’s intention was to intimidate the Belgian population and kill as many people as possible, RTBF reported.

The six men, alongside Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa and Sofien Ayari, were also found guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization, according to RTBF.

The trial began last year to determine whether 10 men played a part in the suicide bombings on March 22, 2016 that killed dozens of people and injured over 300. The court found that four further people should be added to the list of people killed in the attacks, bringing the death toll up to 36 people, according to RTBF.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, which saw suicide bombers detonate several explosions in Brussels airport and a metro station in the city.

In 2022, Abdeslam was also found guilty of carrying out a series of deadly gun and bomb attacks in Paris in 2015. Abdeslam, who is believed to be only surviving member of the group that carried out the French attacks, was given a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole by a French court.

Meanwhile, Oussama Atar who was absent from the Brussels trial, is presumed to have been killed in Syria, according to RTBF.

Brothers Smail Farisi and Ibrahim Farisi were both acquitted of the charge of participation in activities of a terrorist group, according to RTBF. The two brothers were consequently not guilty of all charges filed against them.

Tuesday’s ruling marks the end of Belgium’s largest ever trial which included evidence from over 370 witnesses and experts, according to Reuters.

When the attacks took place in 2016, Belgium had been a focus for counterterrorism officials because of the large number of Belgian foreign fighters who have traveled to join ISIS and other terror groups in Syria and Iraq – more per capita than any other European Union country.

Four Australian army aircrew members who were aboard a helicopter that crashed into the sea on Friday have now been declared dead, according to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday.

Efforts to rescue Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs have now turned to an effort to recover their bodies.

“The loss of these four men is as significant and meaningful as the loss of anyone who has worn our nations uniform. If it is, as we imagine it to be, they died on Friday night making a difference,” Marles said.

The crew was forced to “ditch” the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter into the sea near Hamilton Island off the east coast of Australia late Friday, during an exercise that was part of joint drills with the United States.

Significant wreckage of the MRH-90 helicopter has now been located, Marles said, indicating the men likely died in the “catastrophic” incident late Friday.

Marles said the “determined recovery effort involving hundreds of defense force personnel” is underway, saying there will be a “full investigation” to understand exactly what happened.

The aircraft “impacted waters” near the Lindeman Island, off the coast of the state of Queensland. A search operation involving both search and rescue aircraft and sea vessels is under way, according to the Australian Defense Ministry.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “it has been a very difficult weekend for our nation” as he motioned the Australian parliament on Monday to mourn the servicemen who died.

“They were soldiers, and they were sons, husbands, brothers, fathers, friends, and today our deepest sympathies are with the people who love them, and the people that they love,” Albanese said.

He said this “terrible incident has provided a stark reminder that there are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country’s name.”

The mission was a part of large-scale military drills involving the United States, known as Talisman Sabre. The drills are held every other year, alternating between the two countries, and also often involve other allied forces.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who were both in Australia, spoke of those who went missing in the crash.

“We are thinking of the families, their friends, comrades,” Blinken said. “For everything they’ve been doing to the freedom that we share, and that is what unites us more than anything else and we are stepping up with assistance,” he added.

Austin said it’s “always tough” to encounter accidents in training. “But the reason that we trained to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis,” he said.

The exercises have been paused to allow all participants “regardless of their nation, to reach out and let their families know what is going on,” Talisman Sabre Exercise Director Brigadier Damien Hill said at the Brisbane press conference.

Friday’s crash is the second time this year the Australian Army has been forced to ditch an MRH-90 Taipan into the sea. Two injuries resulted from the previous incident in March, which was put down to engine failure.

In 2019 the Australian government announced it would retire its entire fleet of Airbus-manufactured Taipans years ahead of schedule, describing the Taipans as a “project of concern for the last decade.”