Latest news bulletin | August 20th – Midday
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00:00Zelensky says Ukraine controls over 1,250 square kilometers in Russia's Kursk region.
00:11U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the Democratic Convention which
00:15kicked off on Monday in Chicago.
00:22Ukraine's population boom has led to a housing shortage.
00:35Ukraine controls over 1,250 square kilometers in Russia's Kursk region.
00:41That is according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
00:45He adds that troops captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in a single operation,
00:50making it one of Kyiv's largest efforts to liberate Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
01:18Eighty-four temporary accommodation centers opened in the Kursk region, as Russian authorities
01:23say more than 121,000 civilians were evacuated since the start of the incursion.
01:33On Sunday, the Ukrainian president addressed the aim of the incursion into Kursk for the
01:38first time, which is to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across
01:43the border.
01:44Zelensky says his troops would not have to physically enter Russian territories, particularly
01:49the Kursk region, if Ukraine partners would lift the restriction on the use of long-range
01:54weapons.
02:00U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the Democratic Convention in
02:05Chicago to pay a tribute to U.S. President Joe Biden.
02:34Four weeks ago, Biden stepped aside as the party's presidential nominee to make way for
02:39his running mate Kamala Harris.
02:42The convention holds particularly high stakes for the party as it will showcase the new
02:47presidential nominee's policy objectives.
02:52Hillary Clinton also made an appearance at the convention.
02:56The former Secretary of State applauded Harris for working towards breaking what she calls
03:01the highest and hardest glass ceiling.
03:04Also on the opening day of the DNC, thousands of marchers took to the streets in a mostly
03:09peaceful protest calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
03:13Several demonstrators were arrested after breaking through a fence set up by the police.
03:22Bulgarian President Ruman Radev has rejected Prime Minister-designate Goritsa Granchirova-Kozareva's
03:29proposal for a new caretaker cabinet.
03:33Her current plans would see Karlin Stoyanov retain his position as Interior Minister,
03:39something the president has said he won't allow because it would not guarantee the holding
03:43of fair elections.
04:04The current caretaker government of Dmitar Glavchev will now remain in power until the
04:09parliament presents a new shortlist of potential prime ministers.
04:14President Radev's decision has set a precedent in Bulgaria, but constitutionalists are divided
04:20on whether the issue is constitutional or political.
04:23Kosolova says the date for the next elections could be around the month of December.
04:53Heavy rains have lashed alpine regions of Austria, leaving parts of the capital Vienna
04:58underwater.
05:00Local media say downpours have caused severe damage in parts of the country and disrupted
05:05road and rail transport.
05:08National broadcaster ORF said that a woman was dragged under a bus by the force of flooding
05:13in the Durbling area in the north of Vienna and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
05:19The amount of rain to fall on Vienna is the highest since records began more than 150
05:24years ago.
05:28Meanwhile clean-up operations in St. Anton continue with trucks and excavators working
05:33to remove the mud and gravel from the road and the village.
05:37The air road to Arlberg remains closed and a decision on when to reopen it will be taken
05:42on Monday.
05:43St. Anton's mayor says the clean-up operation will take weeks to complete and volunteers
06:07will help clean houses in the village.
06:13China has responded to concerns raised by EU businesses over its revised anti-espionage
06:20law, which was broadened to include the transfer of so-called work secrets in February of this
06:25year.
06:27The revised law includes further restrictions on the transfer of data to other parties,
06:33but remains vague as to what kind of data is considered a national security threat by
06:38China's government.
06:42Concerns surrounding the law is particularly prevalent in the pharmaceutical industry as
06:47foreign businesses are afraid of making any attempts to certify manufacturing sites in
06:52China.
06:55The German Medicines Manufacturers Association recently said many of their inspectors refuse
07:01to visit and inspect production sites in China over fears of arrest for spying under the
07:06law.
07:10But China says it's committed to providing foreign business with a market-orientated
07:15and law-based environment.
07:37China is a major supplier of drugs to the EU and these new restrictions risk exacerbating
07:43the disruption of supply chains.
07:47A manhunt is underway for a masked man who stabbed an 11-year-old boy to death while
07:53the child was playing football with his friends.
07:56The man attacked three children at a sports centre, killing one of them and then fleeing.
08:02Spanish police have launched a search and capture operation involving a dozen patrols
08:07and a helicopter to locate the still-at-large attacker.
08:11Relatives, children and residents of the town gathered for a minute of silence in tribute
08:17to the child who was killed.
08:25Stargazers and photographers gather across the globe to catch a glimpse of the rare blue
08:29supermoon.
08:32A supermoon is used to describe when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth.
08:37Because of this close proximity, the moon appears to be 14% larger and 30% brighter
08:44compared to when it's at its farthest distance.
08:48The lunar spectacle is especially rare as according to NASA it is also a blue moon which
08:53happens every 2-3 years.
08:57Worried that you missed it?
08:58Well according to NASA, the blue supermoon can be seen through early Wednesday morning.
09:04August supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles.
09:09The next supermoon will be on the night of September 18th, followed by October 17th and
09:15the final supermoon will round out the year on November 15th.
09:24Massive growth in the population of Ireland between 2015 and 2023 has seen demand for
09:29housing reach a ratio of now just under 4 to 1.
09:34That means for every four persons seeking a house, only one is available.
09:38The massive demand for housing is resulting in a huge increase in property prices which
09:43is now beyond the reach of most young people.
09:46Some observers say the government is failing badly to address the needs of people who are
09:51trying to get on the property ladder.
09:53We've failed to stem that flow and failed to build appropriate social homes to allow
09:58them the dignity of being able to be housed.
10:01So we have a massive crisis here at the moment that is increasing year upon year and a massive
10:05supply and demand that doesn't mix, doesn't connect and is completely disconnected and
10:10at odds with what our needs are.
10:12Central to the massive demand for housing is the rapid rise in the population.
10:17The numbers in the country have risen from 3.6 million in the mid-1990s to a current
10:22figure of 5.1 million.
10:24However in that time the number of housing completions has fallen behind demand.
10:29A recent study found that Ireland has a higher house demand ratio than Spain, the United
10:33Kingdom, Germany and the USA.
10:36The demand per capita is twice that of Australia which is a popular destination for immigrants
10:41from all over the world.
10:43The Irish government say that despite the current figures, the rate of housing completions
10:48is improving.
10:50For 10 years, up to 2020, not enough homes are being built.
10:54But if I look at what we're doing now, that in the first two years of housing for all
10:58we significantly exceeded our targets.
11:01We will do so again this year by delivering private, really good social housing, social
11:06housing at a rate that we haven't seen for over 50 years and affordable homes for working
11:10people for the first time in a generation.
11:13The real problem for the Irish government is that as its economy continues to boom,
11:18Ireland will remain an attractive location for immigrants whose demand for housing will
11:22continue to surpass supply.
11:25This 4 to 1 ratio of demand and supply of houses in this country is putting pressure
11:29on the government to increase property completions.
11:33With a general election coming down the line in the coming months, housing could be the
11:37issue that determines who forms the next government in this country.
11:42This is Ken Ray for Euronews in Dublin.