Latest news bulletin | October 15th – Evening
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00:00Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated demands that UNIFIL temporarily
00:06leave Lebanon's combat zone.
00:12The European Union is extending its sanctions to Iranian entities and individuals linked
00:17to Russia.
00:20Russia could carry out an attack against NATO by the end of the decade, cautioned the head
00:26of Germany's foreign intelligence agency.
00:31Poland is accelerating efforts to strengthen the defense of its borders with Russia and
00:36Belarus.
00:41Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated demands that UNIFIL temporarily
00:50leave Lebanon's combat zone.
00:53Personal criticism is growing after Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on UN peacekeepers
00:58since invading Lebanon two weeks ago.
01:02In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu rejected allegations that the Israeli military
01:07deliberately targeted the peacekeepers.
01:10The charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false.
01:16It's exactly the opposite.
01:18Israel repeatedly asked UNIFIL to get out of harm's way.
01:21It repeatedly asked them to temporarily leave the combat zone, which is right next to Israel's
01:26border with Lebanon.
01:28Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General António Guterres, emphasized
01:33that the attacks on its peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.
01:37Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international
01:42humanitarian law, and they may constitute war crime.
01:45He called on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put
01:50our peacekeepers at risk.
01:52The UN Security Council has reiterated its support for UNIFIL's role in supporting regional
01:57security, as well as its support for the peacekeepers' continued presence in southern Lebanon, despite
02:02Netanyahu's calls for their removal.
02:09The European Union is extending its sanctions to seven Iranian individuals and seven Iranian
02:15entities linked to the shipment of missiles to Russia.
02:19Among them are several airlines, the country's deputy defense minister, and important members
02:24of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
02:27Their assets will be frozen and they will be banned from entering the European Union.
02:32This was one of the decisions taken by EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell, who reiterated
02:37the European Union's disagreement on the Middle East conflict.
02:41We should also be clear-eyed about what the Israeli leadership is doing and what looks
02:50like a full determination to pursue its military objectives at a high cost.
02:57Borrell also announced that he wants to bring the review of the bloc's trade agreement with
03:02Israel to the next meeting of ministers.
03:06Spain and Ireland called for its suspension months ago if the country's shown to be violating
03:11human rights.
03:13But neither Madrid and Dublin's demands nor the High Representative's intentions are shared
03:18by several EU countries.
03:21Among them is the Czech Republic, who said on Monday that they are not closing the door
03:25on armed shipments to Israel.
03:32Russia could carry out an attack against NATO by the end of the decade, cautioned the head
03:37of Germany's foreign intelligence agency.
03:41Bruno Karl delivered the stark warning at a meeting attended by the country's leading
03:46espionage chiefs at the Bundestag.
03:50Whether we want to or not, we are in a direct confrontation with Russia and Putin has long
03:58ago made the enemy declaration against us.
04:01Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refuted the remarks, saying it is illogical for Moscow
04:07to move against the alliance.
04:09In June, Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the country's security situation
04:14was tense.
04:16At the time, she said that Russia's war in Ukraine continues to call European peace and
04:21order into question, and that Russia, among other countries, uses intelligence services
04:26to spy on Germany.
04:34Albania's negotiations to join the European Union have begun.
04:40According to a survey carried out in 2023, Tirana will have strong support from its citizens
04:46during this process, with over 90% approving the European vision of the government.
04:54Albania's strong commitment to the West could be an advantage, especially as the war in
04:58Ukraine raises concerns about the EU's security.
05:25Despite its strengths, Albania will have to undertake numerous reforms to convince the
05:28member states and adapt its legislation to European standards.
05:34In the past, Albania has been commended for what it has been delivering on fight against
05:42corruption and organized crime.
05:43It still needs to do a lot more.
05:46It needs to deliver more as well on protecting the fundamental rights, freedom of media and
05:53freedom of expression.
05:56Tirana submitted its application in 2009, but still has a long way to go.
06:01Once the negotiations are concluded, the European Commission will give its opinion to the European
06:06Council, where the member states will have to vote unanimously.
06:11For the procedure to be completed, the European Parliament will also have to give its approval.
06:18The President of the European Commission has endorsed return hubs outside of the European
06:23Union for rejected asylum seekers.
06:26Ursula von der Leyen sent a seven-page letter to EU leaders on Monday, outlining several
06:32proposals to curb the number of asylum applications, including the controversial return hubs.
06:38The letter is very clear on what are considered the priority areas for action, but now of
06:43course it is for the leaders to discuss the way forward based on the letter that the President
06:50has sent.
06:51In the letter, von der Leyen said the EU will be able to learn lessons from the criticized
06:57Italy-Albania asylum processing deal.
07:01She previously described the offshore processing as out-of-the-box thinking, but humanitarian
07:07organizations fear it may set a dangerous precedent.
07:29In the letter, von der Leyen also pushed for designating safe third countries at an EU
07:34level.
07:36This would speed up deportations and avoid disagreements between member states.
07:43It comes ahead of a two-day summit in Brussels, where migration is set to dominate talks.
07:53The first group of migrants is being transferred on board an Italian Navy ship from Italy to
07:59Albania.
08:00It's a total of 60 men, some of them are from Bangladesh, the rest is from Egypt, and they
08:05are expected to arrive in Albania between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
08:11All screening procedures are being carried out, both on board the vessel and upon arrival,
08:17to check whether or not these migrants meet all the necessary requirements and to see
08:21whether their asylum requests will be approved or rejected.
08:28After they have arrived at the first location in the Shenzhen port area in Albania, they
08:33will be transferred to the second center, to one of the facilities within that center,
08:39depending on their status.
08:42Both the centers and the procedures are managed by the Italian authorities as if these were
08:48Italian territories located outside national borders.
08:52We also understand that migrants will retain their rights under international EU law to
08:58apply for asylum in Italy, and those asylum seekers whose applications will be approved
09:04will have to be sent to Italy.
09:07The two centers, which were expected to open last May and which began operating only last
09:14week, will initially accommodate a total of 400 migrants.
09:18That number could increase to 800 in the coming weeks, according to Italian officials.
09:24The agreement between Italy and Albania, which was endorsed by the EU to tackle migration,
09:30has been criticized by human rights groups and by Italy's opposition parties.
09:35They claim that the costs incurred by Italy to open and run those centers, nearing one
09:41billion euros, are too high.
09:44Giorgia Orlandi, for Euronews, in Rome.
09:51Poland is accelerating efforts to strengthen the defense of its borders with Russia and
09:55Belarus.
09:57Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Monday that construction of the so-called East Shield
10:02project will begin earlier than planned, by the end of this year instead of next.
10:07This project will increase military fortifications and other defense measures on Poland's eastern
10:12border over a length of approximately 800 kilometers.
10:17Construction is expected to last four years.
10:21Tusk was present at a training ground on Monday, where the first exercises took place in testing
10:25elements of the project's new infrastructure, and emphasized that it is part of a combined
10:30effort with the Baltic states and Finland.
10:33I am glad that the East Shield is moving.
10:38It is a joint venture not only of Poland, because it is also connected with the efforts
10:46of the Baltic states when it comes to the Baltic defense line, Finland.
10:52Tusk also said that he is to discuss European funding for the project in Brussels in the
10:57near future.
11:05The European Union is to toughen its air pollution limits, bringing them closer to what is recommended
11:11by the World Health Organization.
11:14That minister signed off the stricter limits at the Environment Council in Luxembourg.
11:19But some countries expressed their reservations about meeting the deadlines.
11:24Malta, for example, claims it would be impossible for it to meet the new limit on nitrogen dioxide.
11:30And Germany welcomed a clause that allows governments to postpone the deadline until
11:352040.
11:36They also sought reassurance from the European Commission that it will not be forced to restrict
11:41car driving or close industrial plants.