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Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/03/06/latest-news-bulletin-march-6th-midday
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00French President Emmanuel Macron says he will open a debate about extending French nuclear
00:05deterrence to European allies to protect the continent from Russia.
00:10US President Donald Trump has issued a last warning to Hamas to release all remaining
00:16Israeli hostages and bodies.
00:21The EU Commission has unveiled plans to borrow €150 billion to fund a major rearmament
00:28push.
00:30French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will confer with European allies on the
00:35idea of using the country's nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats
00:40from Russia.
00:41Macron, in a televised address to The Nation Wednesday, described Russia as a threat to
00:46France and Europe.
00:48France is the only nuclear power in the European Union.
00:52Our nuclear deterrence protects us.
00:54It is complete, sovereign, French from end to end.
00:59Since 1964, it has explicitly played a role in the preservation of peace and security
01:06in Europe.
01:07But in response to the historic call of the future German Chancellor, I decided to open
01:12the strategic debate on the protection, through our deterrence, of our allies on the European
01:18continent.
01:20Whatever happens, the decision has always been and will remain in the hands of the President
01:25of the Republic.
01:26Macron's speech comes as EU leaders prepare to address the issues during the special summit
01:32in Brussels on Thursday.
01:34Late on Wednesday, Macron welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for a meeting.
01:41US President Donald Trump issued on Wednesday what he called a, quote, last warning to Hamas
01:47to release the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
01:52Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies
01:58of the people you murdered, or it is over for you, Trump wrote in a lengthy post on
02:03his social media platform.
02:05His post comes hours after the White House confirmed Trump had dispatched an envoy from
02:10President to direct talks with Hamas.
02:13Trump warned there would be, quote, hell to pay if the captives, which include 24 living
02:19hostages and the bodies of 35 others, were not released.
02:24The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is currently uncertain, as an agreement on the
02:29second phase does not seem to be in sight for now.
02:32Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there have been positive developments in talks
02:43with the US, and that both sides are working on a meeting in the near future.
02:49It comes as the US paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a decision which Trump
02:54administration officials said was part of the broader push for Zelensky to negotiate
02:58a peace deal with Russia.
03:00Zelensky added that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a
03:04short suspension.
03:26Zelensky added that he had spoken with the leaders of the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia
03:30and Germany ahead of Thursday's EU summit in Brussels.
03:35Many of the bloc's leaders have emphasised the need for stronger support for Ukraine
03:39amid growing uncertainty about security guarantees from the US.
03:48The Danish and Greenlandic Prime Ministers have responded to US President Donald Trump's
03:53latest comments on Greenland.
03:55They echoed each other in their message that Greenlanders should be the ones to decide
03:59the future of the territory.
04:18Denmark's defence minister added that it is a positive development that Trump respected
04:22Greenlanders' self-determination in his speech to Congress on Tuesday.
04:27Meanwhile, the German foreign ministry also took a position in support of their neighbour
04:31and ally.
04:56Greenlanders will head to the polls on Tuesday.
05:05Trump's recent comments about taking over the island have ignited unprecedented interest
05:09in full independence from Denmark, which has become a key issue during campaign season.
05:21The European Union is preparing to enter a rearmament phase.
05:26On Thursday, the European Commission will formally present a proposal for greater investment
05:31in defence at a special summit attended by the 27 heads of state and government.
05:37The Commission plans to grant 150 billion euros in loans to its EU members.
05:44The Commission suggests it will borrow the necessary amount from the markets and then
05:49lend these funds to the various countries over the long term.
05:53This arrangement will enable several member states to obtain more advantageous rates than
05:58if they borrowed on their own.
06:23The Commission is also considering using an opt-out clause from the European Budgetary
06:29Rules.
06:30The Stability and Growth Pact sets a public deficit limit of 3% of gross domestic product.
06:37This exception would allow capitals to increase their spending within certain limits without
06:43triggering an excessive deficit procedure.
06:46I think that the adjustment, the flexibility introduced for the 3% budget deficit will
06:56considerably enable member states to raise their defence spending.
07:03I think overall it will be still a mixed picture, with some doing it more quickly and more comprehensively
07:12while others perhaps joining in a bit of a later stage.
07:15The Commission would like to see all European Union countries investing in the same direction,
07:21namely air and missile defence, artillery systems, ammunition, drones and missiles.
07:27It is also inviting its members to buy together.
07:31Let's also be clear, only if you order in larger amounts, in larger quantities, only
07:38then you will be able to bring down costs per unit and bring down and improve the scale
07:44economies essentially.
07:46So this is what you need to focus on.
07:50The Commission proposes to redirect European funds to undertake the investment.
07:56Finally, it wants to attract private capital through the European Investment Bank.
08:07European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to bring into force the entry-exit system
08:13The bloc's automated registry for short-stay travellers.
08:17Delayed for years over technical problems and lack of preparedness, Interior Ministers
08:23reached an agreement in Brussels for a likely start of operations in autumn.
08:29The entry-exit system's main purpose is to modernise checks at the EU's external borders
08:35and replace the stamping of passports.
08:38It will apply to non-EU citizens who come to the bloc for visits, holidays or business
08:43trips.
08:44The collection and sharing of information in real time is meant to help authorities
08:50crack down on those who overstay their short-term visas and commit identity fraud.
08:57Cyprus and Ireland will not partake in the scheme.
09:06Brussels is launching an action plan to help the European automotive sector.
09:11According to the European Commission, the industry is at a critical turning point.
09:16The Commission wants to ensure that the batteries used by car manufacturers are made in Europe.
09:22They will make available 1.8 billion euros to strengthen the supply chain of raw materials
09:27for batteries.
09:29This will be in addition to the 3 billion euros that Brussels has already announced
09:34will be invested in batteries.
09:40Europe needs its own supply.
09:44That means producing them ourselves.
09:47And alongside finance, we are considering European content requirements for batteries
09:52and components that are sold here.
09:55The Clean Industrial Deal, presented by the Commission last week, also announced a new
10:01critical raw materials centre.
10:03So from 2026, it will offer automotive players access to lower-cost materials.
10:12The European Commission also aims to decarbonise the corporate car fleet, which accounts for
10:1660% of new car registrations.
10:19They will present a legislative proposal this year.
10:23This is in addition to the plan announced on Monday by Ursula von der Leyen, the European
10:28Commission's president, to give carmakers three more years to adapt to the CO2 emission
10:33standards for new cars.
10:38One of Spain's main contemporary art fairs, Arco Madrid, opened on Wednesday with the
10:44Amazon as the central project.
10:46Organisers say this year's exhibition, in its 44th edition, reflects on new modes of
10:52creation that represents hybrid existences between human, plant, physical and metaphysical
10:59bodies.
11:00The contemporary art fair features a total of 214 galleries from 36 countries.
11:07With a mix of established and emerging talent, Arco Madrid explores a significance Latin
11:13American art with nearly a third of international galleries coming from the region.
11:19Wednesday's opening was attended by Spain's King Felipe and his wife, Queen Letizia.
11:25The contemporary art fair has been running in Spain since 1982.
11:30This year's exhibition opens to the public on Thursday and runs till Sunday, 9 March.