In Spain, a young woman named Noelia Castillo was euthanized after requesting the right to a “dignified death” since 2024. At 25 years old, she was 74% disabled after a suicide attempt in 2022. Her father opposed her decision, leading to a two-year legal battle. The court sided with the young woman, who was euthanized by intravenous injection at a hospital in Barcelona. Noelia Castillo had been a victim of gang rape before her suicide attempt. “Noelia’s case has reopened public debate on euthanasia and its legal and ethical limits,” highlighted El Mundo. Euthanasia has been legal in Spain since 2021, under certain conditions.
In the G7 summit news, France has rescinded its invitation to South Africa. According to News24, this decision was influenced by pressure from the United States on Paris. Americans threatened to boycott the summit if President Cyril Ramaphosa attended. Emmanuel Macron had invited his counterpart during the G20 in Johannesburg last year, as stated by a spokesperson for the South African president. The decision will not impact the nature of the bilateral relationship, as confirmed by the spokesperson, who understood France’s decision. Both Paris and Washington deny exerting any pressure. Diplomatic relations between Pretoria and the United States have been complicated since Donald Trump came to power, claiming that the South African regime persecutes white people.
Moving on to Finland, a former minister has been convicted of homophobia. In 2004, Päivi Räsänen described homosexuality as a “disorder of psychosexual development” and an “abnormality” in a pamphlet. The Supreme Court fined the former Interior Minister, a member of the Christian Democrats, 1,800 euros. The public broadcaster Yle mentioned that she had been invited to testify on freedom of speech in Europe at the American Congress last month. Päivi Räsänen expressed shock at the decision and plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
In sports news, France defeated Brazil in a friendly match in the USA as part of their World Cup preparations. The French team beat the Brazilians 2-1 in Boston with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Hugo Ekitiké. They will play against Colombia in Washington on Sunday. The Brazilian sports newspaper Lance regretted that Brazil, playing with an extra player in the second half, could not secure a win. Folha de S.Paulo highlighted the pessimism surrounding the five-time world champion before the tournament. Meanwhile, Italy is close to the World Cup, having won their first playoff match 2-0 against Northern Ireland. They now aim to defeat Bosnia to participate in their first World Cup since 2014.
