Latest news bulletin | August 23rd – Morning
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 In Greece, the bodies of 18 unidentified victims have been found after a forest fire,
00:05 and officials believe they may have crossed the border illegally.
00:09 Three at last liberated villagers in Ukraine described terror, thirst and starvation
00:16 as war raged around their homes.
00:19 Franz Timmermans has resigned as vice president of the EU Commission
00:24 to lead a social democrat green coalition in Dutch elections.
00:30 Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has slammed the Football Federation chief,
00:34 Luis Rubiolas, as apology following a scandalous World Cup kiss.
00:39 Officials in Greece say the bodies of 18 people were found in Dardia National Park
00:48 by fire crews tackling blazes in the northeast of the country.
00:51 It's thought the victims may have crossed the border illegally before being trapped in the wildfire.
00:56 In the Alexandroupolis valley, under local control by the fire department,
01:01 in the wider area of Avada, 18 unidentified victims were found.
01:08 Since there has been no statement of disappearance or unknown residents,
01:14 the possibility of people entering our country is being investigated.
01:19 It is to be reminded that 112 notifications of the evacuation of the wider area have been sent since yesterday.
01:26 Firefighters in Greece are dealing with dozens of wildfires across the country.
01:31 On Monday, officials confirmed two deaths from fires in northern and central parts of the country.
01:37 At least two firefighters have been injured.
01:40 Amidst the steel on steel, front line fighting, terrified civilians,
01:54 safe at last.
01:56 The video released by the Ukrainian Army's 47th Brigade on social media
02:01 recorded the moment of rescue and tales of survival.
02:06 - It was very hard psychologically.
02:09 Until the water and light disappeared, there was no bread.
02:15 We planted a fence, ran between shots, ate potatoes.
02:22 - It was summer 1952.
02:24 I will tell you, I had gorgeous gifts.
02:26 I was given dumplings with ham, three loaves of bread.
02:32 My mother brought a bouquet of three.
02:36 And my brother brought a box of dumplings, which I found in the occupant.
02:42 - Hello, my sunshine.
02:47 We missed you.
02:50 For the people of Robotina, a chance to call loved ones,
02:54 even as heavy shelling continued around the village that's seen two months of intense fighting.
03:00 - Goodbye.
03:03 - Goodbye.
03:06 [Ukrainian TV channel]
03:10 - Ukrainian forces made tactically significant gains in western Zaporizhia region
03:15 while continuing counter-offensive operations in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia region administrative border
03:20 and in eastern Ukraine.
03:22 Geolocated footage published on the 20th and the 21st of August
03:27 indicates that Ukrainian forces reached central part of Robotina.
03:34 It is situated about 10 km south from Urihiv
03:38 and broke through some Russian defences south of Malatokhmachka, this direction.
03:44 Ukrainian army reports entering Russian occupied village of Robotina.
03:49 Russian sources state that the fighting here is ongoing.
03:53 The Institute for the Study of War previously assessed that Ukrainian attacks on Robotina
03:57 are tactically significant because the Ukrainian advance in the area
04:01 may allow Ukrainian forces to begin operating past the densest Russian minefields.
04:07 Ukrainian advances across fields in this area likely confirm this assessment.
04:12 Persistent Ukrainian advances in the Robotina area also likely aim to degrade Russian forces
04:17 that have committed significant effort, resources and personnel to hold positions around Robotina.
04:25 The UK defence ministry says the Russian military is highly likely forming
04:29 a new 18th Combined Arms Army from the other units currently operating in Kherson region.
04:36 It is likely to consist mostly of mobilised personnel
04:39 and to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine.
04:43 Russia likely aims to free up more experienced units to fight on T-axis.
04:48 There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent redeployment of airborne forces
04:53 from Kherson to the heavily contested Urykhev area.
04:59 Fire and rescue crews in Stepneherzhsk in Ukraine have become used to coming under fire while rescuing people.
05:09 They call the 4km road to the front line the highway of life.
05:12 They've helped 5,000 residents escape along the muddy, shell-pocked route, often under attack themselves.
05:20 We were not only under the tanks, we were under the planes, under the mortars.
05:25 We saw everything there.
05:27 But at the time when you pull a car or a bus with people, you won't throw it.
05:34 You know you have to pull it over because there is another column behind.
05:39 When Russia blocked one of the exits from the highway,
05:42 the fire crews adapted and focused instead on helping those left behind.
05:47 After the shells fall, they emerge from an improvised bomb shelter in what was once a water storage tank.
05:55 It was a water storage tank.
05:59 We found it here when we were cleaning up.
06:03 During the demolition, we decided to make it into a bomb shelter.
06:10 We made this descent, dug, broke through, dug out.
06:17 The rescuers are exhausted after a year and a half of a war whose end is not in sight in the short or medium term.
06:24 Two of their colleagues have lost their lives along the way.
06:28 The EU Commission's Vice President and Climate Chief, Frans Timmermans,
06:36 has resigned in a bid to run for Prime Minister in the Netherlands.
06:40 The 62-year-old former Dutch Foreign Minister has been chosen to lead the Green Left in parliamentary elections in November.
06:47 The Dutch elections are wide open with two new parties vying to become the biggest force in the nation,
06:52 as traditional groups like the Christian Democrats face major challenges to maintain their standing.
06:58 Timmermans will lead a broad centre-left coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.
07:03 Mark Rutte, the incumbent Prime Minister, has announced he won't stand.
07:09 The nation grieves with you.
07:14 That's what US President Joe Biden told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires on Monday
07:19 as he promised to help residents of the island of Maui recover after the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.
07:26 The President and his wife cut short their week-long holiday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires.
07:33 Lahaina was a historic town of 13,000 people and has been virtually destroyed by the flames.
07:40 I also want all of you to know the country grieves with you, stands with you,
07:46 and will do everything possible to help you recover, rebuild and respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place.
07:54 The wildfires have claimed at least 114 lives with 850 people still missing.
08:00 The flames moved so quickly that residents and visitors were caught off guard.
08:04 Many were trapped in the streets or forced to jump into the ocean to escape.
08:09 It's nearly two weeks since the fire started and Biden has come under attack from Republicans
08:17 who claim he has not done enough to address the devastation.
08:21 The White House says Biden delayed his trip so as not to distract officials and rescuers working on the ground.
08:28 Japan is set to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday
08:39 despite protests from neighboring countries and demands from China and South Korea to reconsider the decision.
08:46 In Seoul, protesters took to the streets, accusing Tokyo of jeopardizing the safety of South Koreans.
08:52 China called the release of radioactive water a wrong decision and called on Japan to correct it.
08:58 Beijing says the ocean is a common property of all humankind
09:02 and promised to take all necessary measures to safeguard the marine environment.
09:06 Japan has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the plan to discharge treated water
09:12 contaminated at the plant in 2011 when an earthquake and tsunami wrecked Fukushima, melting three reactors.
09:20 The water has been stored in a thousand tanks and treated with what's called an advanced liquid processing system.
09:27 Not enough. That's what Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called the Football Federation chief's apology
09:37 following Sunday's World Cup kiss scandal.
09:40 Luis Robiales posted a video message on Monday saying he was "completely wrong".
09:45 What we saw was an unacceptable gesture.
09:48 I also believe that Mr. Robiales' apologies are not enough.
09:56 I even believe that they are not adequate and therefore Mr. Robiales has to continue to take steps
10:04 to clarify what we all saw through the media.
10:09 Robiales was forced to explain his behaviour during the medal ceremony after Spain's historic win against England
10:15 in the Women's World Cup final.
10:17 The 45-year-old unexpectedly kissed forward Jenny Hermoso on the lips.
10:22 On Instagram, Hermoso was filmed saying she didn't like it but later defended him in a statement.
10:27 Football fans in Spain turned out in their thousands on Monday night to celebrate their side winning the Women's World Cup.
10:38 The victorious players toured Madrid in an open-topped bus, drinking in the euphoric atmosphere.
10:49 Olga Carmona's strike in the 29th minute sealed glory for the Spaniards in Sydney,
10:54 causing heartbreak for an England side who had been favourites to win.
10:57 The Spanish captain joined the celebrations despite learning after the match that her father had passed away just hours before the final.
11:06 The players arrived at the celebration spot near midnight local time, some three hours after their plane had landed.
11:12 The celebrations ended some four hours later with confetti being sprinkled onto the stage
11:30 and players and staff and fans singing 'We are the champions'.
11:34 The final whistle was blown and the game was over.
11:38 The final whistle was blown and the game was over.
11:44 (whooshing)