Latest news bulletin | October 3rd – Midday
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 European Council President Charles Michel believes that Russia has betrayed the Armenian
00:04 population following Azerbaijan`s attack on the Gorno Karabakh.
00:10 Is a man who worked for Shell an ideal pick to lead Europe`s green policies?
00:14 Dutch politician Wapke Hoekstra tells MEPs he`s the right person for the job.
00:20 The Italian island of Lampedusa marks 10 years since a shipwreck off its coast took the lives
00:25 of more than 360 people.
00:33 The president of the European Council believes that Russia has betrayed the Armenian population
00:37 following Azerbaijan`s attack on the Gorno Karabakh.
00:42 Talking to Euronews, Charles Michel underlined that this is one of the lessons learned from
00:46 the conflict between Yerevan and Baku.
00:48 "There is a certainty now, no one can deny it, that Russia has betrayed the Armenian
00:56 population.
00:57 Russia has made a wish to have soldiers present to guarantee its stability and security agreements.
01:03 We see that this military operation was triggered without any reaction from Russia on the ground.
01:08 This was not the case with the European Union, which has no military forces on the ground,
01:12 as you know."
01:13 Charles Michel will try and kick-start fresh talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan during
01:17 a summit of European countries in Granada at the end of the week, even if the last mediation
01:21 failed to prevent the recent attack.
01:23 "On January 1st, the Karabakh will cease to exist.
01:28 How do you create confidence in these conditions?"
01:31 "I think there is a great responsibility on the part of Azerbaijan.
01:34 From the moment Azerbaijan started a military operation, it is now up to Azerbaijan to show
01:38 good will, good faith in a commitment with necessary international surveillance to protect
01:46 the rights and security of the entire population that lives in Azerbaijan, including the Armenian
01:50 population."
01:51 But relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan are complex.
01:55 The bloc increased its purchase of gas supplies from Baku last year.
01:59 A deal that Charles Michel refrains from questioning, opting instead to put the emphasis on peace
02:04 efforts.
02:05 "Is it a partner today?
02:06 Yes, it is a partner.
02:07 Does that mean that the relationship is simple?
02:08 No, the relationship is not simple.
02:09 Is there a difficulty?
02:10 Yes, there is a difficulty.
02:11 It is real and it must be understood."
02:16 You can watch the full interview from Wednesday on Euronews on The Global Conversation.
02:24 EU foreign affairs ministers are putting on a united front in support of Ukraine by gathering
02:41 in the capital, Kiev.
02:42 However, the meeting failed to unblock the 500 million euro of European military aid
02:47 which Hungary has continued to veto.
02:49 But in one team, foreign policy chief Josef Borel, the strongest security for Ukraine
02:55 is to be an EU member state.
02:57 "The strongest security commitment that we can give to Ukraine is European Union membership.
03:06 This is the strongest security commitment for Ukraine.
03:13 Now Ukraine is a candidate country and it is going further on this way."
03:19 Hungary has refused the passage of the aid due to Ukraine's listing of Hungarian bank
03:24 OTP on the list of so-called international sponsors of war.
03:29 Ukraine has since agreed to temporarily remove the bank but sources say Hungarians are arguing
03:33 this isn't enough.
03:34 EU diplomats privately expressed frustration at Hungary's repeated use of the veto on issues
03:39 relating to Ukraine.
03:40 In the past, Prime Minister Orban has demanded the removal of Russian individuals from EU
03:45 sanctions lists including Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill, a Putin ally
03:51 and supporter of the war.
03:53 "He's part of the interference, he doesn't mean good, he means the EU."
03:56 "And the same should be said with Patriarch Kirill who they also had removed from sanctions
04:00 because they were trying to be nice to him and the Russians and in the end he's just
04:05 extorting as much as he possibly can from his power.
04:08 It's dirty, it's illegitimate but I guess the Ukrainians are saying well you know we've
04:11 got to be pragmatic here.
04:12 We've got bigger fish to fry and we're going to have to tolerate some of this and try to
04:17 get arrangements, disgraceful as they may be because we've got a war to fight."
04:22 The Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister didn't join his fellow ministers in Kiev with the
04:25 government sending an official in his place.
04:28 Talks are ongoing between all sides and there remains some hope that eventually the money
04:32 can be unlocked with Hungary giving its imprimatur.
04:35 Shona Murray, Euronews, Brussels.
04:41 Serbian forces apparently pulling back reinforcements from the Kosovo border.
04:45 Numbers there doubled last week in the wake of a shootout in Kosovo between heavily armed
04:50 men and police.
04:51 Washington welcomed reports of a de-escalation.
04:54 We have seen the reports that Serbia has withdrawn military personnel and equipment away from
05:00 the border.
05:01 We have not yet verified those independently and we will be looking for further confirmation
05:06 but if true that would be a welcome step, something that we called for to happen last
05:11 week and we would welcome them having taken that step.
05:14 A Serbian general said troop numbers have been cut to 4,500 and clarified details of
05:19 the troop build-up last week.
05:22 "On September 25th, 8,350 troops were deployed not only to secure the administrative lines
05:36 in the security zone but also to secure the administrative lines in the units located
05:42 near the administrative lines."
05:47 But Kosovo remains convinced Serbia was behind the September attack that left a police officer
05:52 and three insurgents dead.
05:54 NATO beefed up its presence in Kosovo after the incident.
06:03 The Dutch politician and former oil executive Wapke Hoekstra faced a three-hour grilling
06:08 from MEPs who he's hoping will green-light his appointment as EU Commissioner for Climate
06:14 Action.
06:15 His nomination by the Netherlands follows the resignation of Frans Timmermans who's
06:19 returned to Dutch politics.
06:21 Hoekstra, a former vice prime minister, foreign minister and Christian Democrat party leader,
06:26 promised to continue with the EU's ambitious climate plan.
06:30 With the European Green Deal, President van der Leyen and former executive vice president
06:34 Timmermans laid the foundations for Europe's green transformation.
06:40 And I want to ensure you that continuity is in place on the entire Green Deal.
06:47 In my own portfolio, I aim to swiftly conclude all pending negotiations.
06:52 But I will not be a caretaker.
06:57 It simply wouldn't do justice to the scale, to the magnitude of our challenge.
07:02 Hoekstra's two-year stint working for Shell led some MEPs to question his credibility
07:09 for a role leading climate change action.
07:12 One German MEP was worried that the biggest EU political group would misuse the key position.
07:21 The real question is, will the EPP continue with their anti-Green Deal politics, voting
07:26 against all of the climate laws, or will we have an ambitious climate policy?
07:31 And he needs to be still more convincing.
07:33 He had nice words, but not concrete.
07:36 So I will try to pin him down.
07:39 At the hearing, Hoekstra said he would cut CO2 emissions by 90% by 2040.
07:44 That pledge went too far for some of his own Conservative party members.
07:49 He needs to convince the Environment Committee, and that's why he does commitments which I
07:57 don't always like.
07:58 So we are not so enthusiastic about fixing the ambition for the 2040 target already now.
08:11 The European Parliament will vote on Hoekstra's nomination on Thursday.
08:15 The war in Ukraine and climate change.
08:18 The Italian island of Lampedusa is marking a decade since a major shipwreck off its coast.
08:27 More than 360 people lost their lives in the early morning of October 3rd, 2013.
08:35 Several events have been organized on the island ahead of today's ceremony that have
08:39 been attended by both Italian and European students, representatives of international
08:45 organizations and associations.
08:49 And today, March has been organized that will be followed by a wreath of flowers that will
08:54 be thrown at sea.
08:56 Now the aim of the 3rd of October committee, a charity that has been organizing the event
09:01 every year since 2013, is to remember those who died in 2013, but also each and every
09:07 person who has died trying to cross the Mediterranean in the past 10 years.
09:13 27,000 people have died in the attempt of crossing the Mediterranean in the past 10
09:18 years.
09:19 And the aim really is to try and answer one simple question.
09:21 How is it possible that 10 years on shipwrecks still occur and that so many people die as
09:27 a result of that?
09:30 And this has been really the main theme of this year's commemoration.
09:35 Now the event has been particularly significant as well, given that the share of migrant
09:42 arrivals on the island has increased compared to previous years and that Lampedusa has indeed
09:48 become the main point of arrival for migrants who try to reach Europe.
09:52 George Orlandi for Euronews in Rome.
09:58 Further chaos within the US Republican Party as Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz files a
10:03 motion to strip House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of his office.
10:07 Gaetz has accused McCarthy of making a side deal with President Biden to help fund the
10:11 war in Ukraine and of holding back on cuts to public spending.
10:16 With the support of House Democrats, McCarthy ushered through a 45-day stopgap bill late
10:21 on Saturday to prevent a shutdown of the federal government.
10:25 McCarthy responded to Gaetz's threat to remove him in a post on social media reading "Bring
10:30 it on."
10:34 Spanish giants Real Madrid will be hoping to maintain their perfect start to their Champions
10:38 League campaign when they travel to southern Italy to take on Napoli this evening.
10:43 Apart from a loss to their bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti's men have won all
10:47 of their fixtures this season and currently sit top of La Liga.
10:51 Whilst Real Madrid outclassed Girona over the weekend, Napoli will enter the contest
10:56 off the back of a thumping 4-0 victory over Lecce in Serie A.
10:59 The Italian champions, led by the informed Victor Osserman, have won three of their last
11:03 four matches in all competitions, including a 2-1 victory over Braga in their Champions
11:08 League opener.
11:09 Both sides last met in the knockout phase in 2017, with the Spanish giants winning 3-1
11:14 both home and away to advance into the quarterfinals.
11:18 In Group C's other game, Union Berlin will be aiming to end a five-game losing run in
11:22 all competitions when they host Braga.
11:24 In Group A, Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from their loss to Bayern Munich
11:28 when they take on Galatasaray at Old Trafford.
11:31 Elsewhere, Miquel Arteta's Arsenal will lock horns with French side Lens following their
11:35 emphatic win over PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates, and in Group D last year's finalists inter-welcome
11:40 Benfica whilst Real Sociedad travel to Salzburg.
11:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]