Latest news bulletin | July 27th – Midday
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Transcript
00:00 Niger`s presidential guard detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in an apparent
00:06 coup d`etat, triggering a standoff with the army.
00:11 President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterates his plans to reintegrate Crimea into Ukraine and
00:15 warns Russian troops to leave while they still can.
00:24 Supporters of Niger`s President Mohamed Bazoum took to the streets of the capital Niamey
00:28 on Wednesday, shouting "no coup d`etat" after members of the presidential guard detained
00:32 the democratically elected leader, triggering a standoff with the army.
00:37 Hours after the apparent coup, protesters tried to approach the presidential palace
00:41 where Bazoum was being held, but dispersed when guards fired warning shots at the crowd.
00:48 The African Union, France, the European Union and the U.S. have all condemned the action
00:53 and called for the release of the president and his family.
00:59 Soldiers from Niger claiming to represent defense and security forces announced on national
01:03 television they had overthrown the government, dissolved the constitution and closed the
01:08 borders.
01:09 Neighboring Benin`s president is reportedly en route to mediate as a representative of
01:13 the West African economic bloc, ECOWAS.
01:15 "Even when what is not acceptable is done, we must correct it in peace.
01:24 It is our first option.
01:27 We think it will be successful."
01:31 President Bazoum is one of a dwindling group of pro-Western leaders in the Sahel region.
01:36 He was elected two years ago in the nation`s first peaceful democratic transfer of power
01:40 since its independence from France in 1960.
01:43 Bazoum has taken the helm of a country burdened by poverty and a history of chronic turmoil.
01:48 Threats to his leadership could undermine the West`s efforts to stabilize the region.
01:57 In his nightly address to the nation, Ukraine`s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday
02:01 that he is optimistic about the progress his troops are making, two months into a counteroffensive
02:06 that had initially stalled.
02:08 Zelensky also had a message for the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by
02:13 Russia in 2014.
02:14 "We are preparing a list of de-occupation steps for Crimea, complex, safe, economic
02:22 and social.
02:23 We can quickly reintegrate Crimea into the state fabric of Ukraine.
02:29 In fact, it is worth thinking about the occupants in Crimea, that while the Crimean bridge is
02:35 still working, they need to return home, to Russia."
02:42 So far, Ukraine`s counteroffensive has managed to reclaim 192 square kilometers of territory
02:47 at the cost of heavy casualties.
02:50 Kiev has also increased the number of attacks on the Crimean Peninsula, hitting the symbolic
02:54 Kerch Bridge, which links the territory to Russia.
03:03 African leaders have been arriving in St. Petersburg ahead of a summit that Moscow hopes
03:07 will boost its influence in the continent and win it more support in the context of
03:11 the Ukraine war.
03:13 But on the eve of the event, the number of attending heads of state had shrunk from 43
03:20 to 17, a drop that the Kremlin blamed on Western interference.
03:25 The two-day conference comes in the wake of Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain
03:29 deal.
03:31 President Vladimir Putin sought to reassure the leaders, including Ethiopia`s Prime Minister
03:36 Abiy Ahmed, whom he met separately, that Russia could send enough grain to compensate Africa
03:41 for the loss of Ukrainian shipments.
03:44 The fate of future contracts with the Wagner mercenary group is also likely to be discussed.
03:49 The leaders of countries like Mali and Sudan rely on its military support.
03:52 And after June`s failed uprising, uncertainty remains over what role the private army will
03:57 play in Africa.
04:01 During a historic visit to Vanuatu on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced
04:06 what he calls new imperialism in the Pacific.
04:09 Macron, who is the first sitting French president to visit an independent Pacific Island state,
04:15 traveled to the small island nation as part of his three-country tour, meant to underscore
04:19 his nation`s role in the region, presenting a possible counter as China and the U.S. compete
04:24 for influence.
04:25 Macron also reflected on his own country`s colonial past in Vanuatu, saying the brutality
04:31 of that period should not be forgotten.
04:36 An apocalyptic landscape rises over Rhodes, one of the Greek islands that has been fighting
04:41 roaring wildfires day and night.
04:44 Columns of smoke rise over the coastal town of Kiotari, practically empty after the evacuation
04:49 of thousands of tourists.
04:52 On Monday, the fire claimed three lives, two of them pilots fighting the flames.
04:57 Strong winds and high temperatures form a dangerous cocktail that threatens the whole
05:00 of Southern Europe.
05:01 In Croatia, a gigantic fire has broken out near the tourist town of Dubrovnik.
05:07 The outbreak is more than five kilometers long and more than 130 firefighters are battling
05:12 the blaze.
05:16 Fires also marked the news in Sicily.
05:18 A large forest fire is approaching Palermo, whose airport remained closed this morning
05:23 after flames reached its perimeter.
05:24 At least 120 families have been evacuated and in one town, part of the local landfill
05:30 is burning.
05:31 In Portugal, the main setting for the fight against the fire is Sintra Cachcaix, natural
05:37 park west of Lisbon.
05:40 The flames caught on quickly yesterday afternoon and forced the evacuation of dozens of people.
05:45 More than 500 firefighters were still on the ground this Wednesday to prevent the flames
05:49 from returning.
05:51 In Spain, attention is focused on the flames that broke out on Tuesday in Gran Canaria
05:55 and forced evacuations of dozens of people.
05:59 As of Wednesday morning, rescue workers say the situation does appear to be under control.
06:09 Indonesian rescuers are in a race against the clock to save eight people trapped in
06:13 an illegal gold mine on Java, the country`s biggest island.
06:18 Local police say the miners were digging inside a 60-meter deep hole when it was suddenly
06:22 flooded.
06:24 The country`s military is helping rescue efforts and trying to pump water from the mine as
06:27 oxygen is quickly running out.
06:30 Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich country and many are built with complete disregard
06:36 for even the most basic safety measures.
06:45 Sinead O`Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s has
06:50 died at the age of 56.
06:55 The cover of Prince`s ballad "Nothing Compares to You" was the song that changed her life,
07:02 a seething, shattering performance that topped the charts from Europe to Australia and was
07:06 heightened by a promotional video featuring the gray-eyed O`Connor in intense close-up.
07:11 Her career was known as much for her mental health struggles and provocative actions as
07:15 for her fierce and expressive music.
07:20 The United States Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to a 22-year high as it continues
07:26 its fight against rising inflation.
07:28 The decision to increase rates by a quarter percentage point to a range of 5.25 to 5.5
07:36 comes after the Fed paused its rate-raising cycle last month.
07:40 It marks the 11th increase since early 2022, when the Fed started raising borrowing costs
07:47 to try to cool the economy and to ease rising prices.
07:52 Restoring price stability is essential to set the stage for achieving maximum employment
07:56 and stable prices over the longer run.
07:59 To conclude, we understand that our actions affect communities, families and businesses
08:04 across the country.
08:06 Everything we do is in service to our public mission.
08:09 We at the Fed will do everything we can to achieve our maximum employment and price stability
08:13 goals.
08:14 The U.S. economy has remained robust despite the 11 rate rises the Fed has now implemented
08:20 - its most aggressive rate-raising cycle in 40 years.
08:25 Hiring has slowed but remained strong and the unemployment rate is still close to a
08:29 record low.
08:31 The Fed`s hike comes ahead of a similar meeting of the European Central Bank, which is under
08:36 pressure to signal an end to interest rate rises.
08:40 Eurozone banks have reported a sharp fall in demand for business loans to its lowest
08:46 level on record, likewise with home loan demand.
08:50 However, the ECB remains determined to bring inflation back down to its 2 percent target.
08:57 And that means a rate rise is still on the cards.
09:01 U.S. President Joe Biden`s son, Hunter, has unexpectedly pleaded not guilty to tax and
09:08 firearm charges after a judge refused to rubber stamp a plea deal with prosecutors.
09:13 The unraveled agreement, negotiated over several weeks, would have seen Hunter Biden sentenced
09:18 to two years of probation, pleaded guilty to tax charges avoiding jail time.
09:24 It was designed to end a five-year investigation.
09:26 The Republicans have sought to use to politically harm his father.
09:30 Biden`s lawyers have been given 14 days to argue a new deal.
09:33 (whooshing)