EUROPEAN UNION

As Greeks vote in a referendum that will likely decide their future in the EU, bitter divisions are emerging among the electorate, with friends and even families at odds.

The EU's unity, solidarity and international standing are at risk from Greece's debt, Russia's role in Ukraine, Britain's pursuit of opt-outs and Mediterranean migration.

Polls indicate the vote centered on an international bailout is too close to call, as the prime minister calls on citizens to "send a message of democracy and dignity to the world."

"I call upon you to ignore the sirens, the scaremongering," Alexis Tsipras told a crowd in Athens, two days before the referendum over whether Greece should accept the IMF's bailout repayment terms.

Russia announced its entire delegation would boycott a regional security summit after a top Moscow politician was blocked from entering Finland.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was prepared to accept creditors' demands for a bailout with only a few minor changes, the Financial Times said.

By 2017, the European Union will abolish roaming charges on consumers who use their phones in members nations beyond their home country.

Austria's finance minister says Greece could "under no circumstances blackmail the European Commission and the euro countries."

"They were playing poker," said Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling. "But in poker, you can always lose."

The operation aims to destroy the boats used to ferry thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean, but critics say it's just "sound and fury."

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will probably speak with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker by phone on Saturday to try to end the deadlock, a Greek minister said.

Athens and its creditors failed to secure a deal this week that would prevent the country from going bankrupt.

China will pledge a multibillion-dollar investment in Europe’s new infrastructure fund at a summit in Brussels June 29, Reuters reported.

The EU has more work to do, experts say, if it hopes to seal a transatlantic trade deal that has been criticized for leaving governments open to international legal action from companies affected by changes to tax and regulation.

Another study has found that bee populations decrease with increased use of pesticides.

Britain's opposition Labour Party will back Prime Minister David Cameron's plans to hold a referendum on the country's European Union membership.

The naval mission, once approved by the U.N., would allow the destruction of traffickers’ boats.

In an open letter, several rights groups have urged European lawmakers to vote for tougher laws to curb the trade of conflict minerals.

“Russia could join the EU, because our economies complement each other," Milos Zeman said.

The European Union's 28 member nations would be required to share the responsibility of housing thousands of refugees.

The European Union's leadership expects Cameron to stave off calls for a British exit from the European bloc.