Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Volodymyr Zelensky slams airstrikes on Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure as cynical
00:07Russian terror.
00:12Austria's government says it's offering Syrian refugees a return bonus of 1,000 euros to
00:17go home following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
00:21The move comes as several countries across Europe have already begun deliberating what
00:26to do with their Syrian refugee populations.
00:30In a post on X, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Austria will support Syrians who wish to return
00:35to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000 euros.
00:39The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt.
00:44Austria has also stopped processing asylum applications filed by Syrians in line with
00:48several other European countries including Belgium, Denmark and Germany.
00:53But the European Commission said that at present the conditions are not met for safe,
00:57voluntary, dignified returns to Syria.
01:00Almost 14,000 Syrians applied for international protection in Europe this year, according
01:05to the EU's asylum agency.
01:12Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's energy infrastructure was hit by one of the largest
01:17Russian attacks, but that the country's systems were being restored.
01:21According to Zelensky, Russia fired 94 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones
01:27at Ukraine on Friday morning.
01:29Eighty-one missiles were shot down.
01:31Zelensky slammed the strikes as cynical Russian terror on the country's power facilities.
01:38Russia fired at critical infrastructure in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk, prompting
01:43authorities to shut off power for central heating and hot water.
01:47Officials say that according to preliminary information, Friday's strike is the largest
01:51on the city since the start of the war.
01:54And in the southern city of Odessa, authorities say air defences shot down all Russian missiles.
02:00There was some damage to civilian infrastructure from falling debris, but no reported injuries
02:05or fatalities.
02:11Protests in Georgia have entered their third week ahead of Saturday's presidential vote,
02:17in which loyalist candidate Mikheil Kavelishvili is expected to be appointed.
02:22The demonstrations began two weeks ago when the government announced that negotiations
02:26to join the EU would be pushed back.
02:30More unrest is expected on Saturday.
02:35Police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds, arresting more than 400
02:40demonstrators.
02:41Opponents have accused the ruling Georgian Dream Party of sacrificing relations with
02:46Europe in favour of closer ties with Russia.
02:50President Zorabishvili has repeatedly spoken out in favour of the protesters, backing their
02:55stance that the October parliamentary elections were tainted by widespread irregularities.
03:02Demonstrators are asking for the release of prisoners and fresh elections.
03:13Residents have observed the first Friday prayer since the dramatic downfall of President
03:17Bashar al-Assad.
03:19The gatherings illustrate the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week
03:23after insurgents marched into Damascus.
03:27The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start
03:32a political transition.
03:34The group has tried to reassure a public concerned about hardliners among the rebels.
03:39HTS says it's broken with its extremist past, but it's still considered a terrorist group
03:44by the United States and some European countries.
03:48Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called
03:53for an inclusive and non-sectarian interim government.
03:57In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries
04:02wanted to ensure the Islamic State group doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge.
04:13The Italian government has granted citizenship to Argentina's President Javier Mele.
04:19Mele is in Rome to meet Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney and to attend her Brothers of Italy
04:23party's annual festival.
04:26On a previous trip to Italy, Mele said he felt 75% Italian as three of his grandparents
04:32were from Calabria.
04:33But the news has been met with anger on social media from people who say the children of
04:38migrants born in Italy find it hard to obtain citizenship.