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Europe Edition

Ransomware, George Pell, Confederations Cup: Your Thursday Briefing

Patrick Boehler and

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Here’s what you need to know:

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Credit...Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

The global cyberattack this week may have been meant to paralyze Ukraine, digital security experts said.

There, hackers targeted tax accountants, who use a software that is integrated into government systems. Officials in Kiev blamed Moscow, but a Russian role has yet to be proven.

There is growing concern that U.S. intelligence agencies have created digital weapons that they cannot keep safe.

Here’s a look at who else has been affected and what else remains unknown. Here’s how to protect yourself. Security experts say such attacks could become more frequent.

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Credit...Andreas Solaro/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

• A top adviser to Pope Francis, Cardinal George Pell, has been charged with sexual assault in Australia.

He is the highest-ranking Vatican official in recent years to face criminal charges involving accusations of sexual offenses. In a statement this morning, the cardinal rejected the allegations as “relentless character assassination.”

The case will test the credibility of Francis’ initiatives to foster greater accountability after the abuse scandals that have shaken the church.

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Credit...Cesare Abbate/ANSA, via Associated Press

• Italy is threatening to close its ports to foreign vessels carrying migrants unless the European Union provides more resources to tackle the rising number of arrivals from Libya. Over 12,000 people reportedly reached its shores in two days.

Meanwhile, Germany has recorded a surge in crime by right-wing extremists since it welcomed nearly a million migrants in 2015.

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Credit...Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

• President Trump accepted an invitation by President Emmanuel Macron of France to visit Paris for Bastille Day, on July 14.

Mr. Macron will summon lawmakers to Versailles next week for the first of what he once promised would be annual speeches akin to those of American presidents.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, drew criticism after a video surfaced of him interrupting a phone call with Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s new prime minister, to compliment a female Irish correspondent’s smile.

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Credit...Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press

Confederations Cup: Chile defeated Portugal on penalties in the semifinals of the soccer tournament in Russia. Germany will face Mexico this evening.

And our soccer columnist further dissected FIFA’s report into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded: “Everyone involved in the bidding process at some point transgressed the spirit of it.”

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Credit...Mark Ovaska for The New York Times

• Some tech companies are valuing skills over degrees. Sean Bridges, above, went from fast-food jobs to cybersecurity analysis.

• The U.S. said it would not expand its in-cabin ban on laptops beyond the 10 airports where it applies. But expect longer waits and more thorough screening on U.S.-bound flights.

• As Greek yogurt’s popularity soared in the U.S., Yoplait struggled to market its own version. Then it decided to develop something else: its French roots.

• Central bankers are meeting in Portugal. They’re talking about a vexing problem: the fact that innovation no longer necessarily spurs job growth.

Here’s a snapshot of global markets.

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Credit...Bulent Kilic/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Street names changed. Statues taken down. Actors fired. Kurds in Turkey say their culture is being suffocated by the government crackdown. [The New York Times]

• In Serbia, Ana Brnabic defiantly faced down opponents in a speech at the Parliament, which is set to approve her as the country’s first female, and first openly gay, prime minister. [The New York Times]

• Saudi Arabia’s recently deposed crown prince is said to have been placed under house arrest. [The New York Times]

• British prosecutors charged six people in the deaths of 96 soccer fans at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, England, in 1989. [The New York Times]

• A bungee jump instructor in Spain could face criminal charges over a fatal misunderstanding in 2015. A Dutch teenager jumped to her death after mistaking his command of “no jump” for “now jump.” [The New York Times]

• Our London bureau chief writes that the deadly Grenfell Tower fire has intensified a debate over whether deregulation has gone too far. [The New York Times]

• In Greece, trash has been piling up on the streets for days as a heat wave looms. Garbage collectors have called for a wider strike today over austerity measures. [Reuters Video]

• An environmental crisis in the making: A million plastic bottles are bought every minute. [The Guardian]

• A tale of courage: A British police officer describes trying to single-handedly thwart last month’s terrorist attack with his baton. [BBC]

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

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Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

• Here’s a handy guide to cooking asparagus.

• Heading to the beach? Don’t forget to be mindful.

• Don’t quit your day job if your dog works as a model. But do consider working with us instead: We’re hiring a pet reporter.

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Credit...Illustration by Paul Sahre

A new initiative to beam messages into space has rekindled a debate at the heart of the search for interstellar life: What if the aliens aren’t friendly?

• Michael Bond, the British author who created Paddington Bear, died at his home in London. He was 91.

• Our reviewer called “Okja,” starring Tilda Swinton, a “high-speed satire with a conscience and a heart.” It is also a stinging critique of the food industrial complex.

• One of Paris’s historic rotundas could soon house a private museum showcasing the art collection of one of the world’s top collectors, François Pinault.

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Credit...TheKiiking, via YouTube

Estonia, the smallest of the three Baltic States, takes on a big task for the first time this week: the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The six-month role will give the country an outsize voice in European politics, and leaders will converge on Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, for meetings.

A few facts about the nation: It’s a former Soviet republic, with a population of about 1.3 million. It prides itself on its embrace of life online and has declared internet access a human right.

Estonians helped create well-known online services like Skype and Kazaa, an early file-sharing website.

On the physical side, the country has an unusual sport: “kiiking,” or extreme swinging.

In kiiking (pronounced KEY-king), above, participants are tied to the base of a rigid swing and try to generate enough momentum to complete a 360-degree rotation. (Hard to envision? Here’s a video.)

Kiiking, pioneered by Ado Kosk in the 1990s, emerged from a tradition of building large wooden swings for community festivities.

“Swinging is in our blood,” said Ants Tamme, director of the Estonian Kiiking Federation.

“It’s all about your fears,” said Mr. Tamme, once a record-holder. “If you overcome your fears, it’s easy.”

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This briefing was prepared for the European morning. We also have briefings timed for the Australian, Asian and American mornings. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters here.

Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.

What would you like to see here? Contact us at europebriefing@nytimes.com.

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