00:00Trump has threatened to entirely blow up Iran and the world's largest gas field, the South Parse,
00:06if Tehran launches any more attacks on Qatari LNG.
00:10Hungary's veto of a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, the widening war in the Middle East,
00:15and persistently high energy prices are set to dominate Thursday's EU summit.
00:20EU lawmakers have scheduled a committee vote for Thursday to revive a stalled trade deal
00:25with the United States following months of resistance.
00:30U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to blow up the entirety of Iran and the world's largest gas field,
00:37the South Parse, after Tehran launched an attack on Wednesday targeting Qatari LNG.
00:43Doha says its largest facility, Raslef Fan, sustained significant damage in the attacks,
00:49which Iran fired in retaliation for a Wednesday strike on its South Parse field.
00:55Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said he does not want to authorize this level of violence against Iran
01:01because of its long-term implications, but won't hesitate to if Doha is again targeted.
01:08He also confirmed that Israel was behind the attack,
01:11which he says was carried out with no U.S. knowledge or involvement,
01:15out of, quote, anger for what has taken place in the Middle East.
01:20The incident sparked global outrage, particularly among Iran's neighbors in the Gulf,
01:26many of whom were convening in Riyadh, which was also targeted at the time of the meeting.
01:32Saudi Arabia says the escalation has shattered all remaining hopes for normalcy.
01:37What I care about now is that the attacks on my country and on my neighboring countries
01:42that are not involved in this conflict end.
01:45That's all I'm interested in.
01:47And we're going to use every level we have, political, economic, diplomatic, and elsewise,
01:54but I have to tell you, what little trust there was before has completely been shattered.
02:00It has been shattered on multiple levels.
02:03The attacks have poured fuel on the fire in an already rapidly deteriorating global energy price crisis.
02:10Brent crude hovered consistently around the $100 a barrel mark
02:14prior to attacks on Iranian and Qatari gas fields,
02:18which is already 40% higher than pre-war figures,
02:21but has since shot up to $108.
02:25Fighting continues to rage as U.S.-Israeli attacks Pammel Tehran daily
02:30and Iranian attacks target Israel and the wider region.
02:33The death toll has also risen across the board,
02:37now surpassing 1,400 in Iran, over 900 in Lebanon,
02:4217 in Israel, 21 in the Gulf states, and 13 U.S. troops.
02:51The 27 leaders of the European Union are heading into a stormy summit on Thursday,
02:57with Hungary's veto of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine,
03:01the widening war in the Middle East,
03:02and persistently high energy prices set to dominate the talks.
03:07From the moment leaders arrive,
03:09all eyes will be on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban,
03:13whose decision to block the support loan for Ukraine
03:15at the very last stage of the legislative process has caused widespread outrage.
03:21Orban vetoed the loan in mid-February
03:23in response to the interruption of oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline,
03:28which he claims is deliberately being kept shut by Ukraine.
03:32Another major talking point on Thursday's agenda
03:35will be the widening war in the Middle East
03:37and the far-reaching consequences it has triggered worldwide.
03:41Europeans were caught off guard when U.S. President Donald Trump last week
03:45asked for their help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,
03:48a vital passage for energy exports that Iran has closed off.
03:53The 27 leaders agree that energy prices,
03:56which have remained stubbornly high since the 2022 disruption,
04:00are a major problem but disagree on how to tackle them.
04:04As an immediate solution to offset high energy bills,
04:07Brussels recommends that governments either lower taxes
04:11or roll out subsidies, both of which affect revenues.
04:15The long-term recipe, however, is far less clear,
04:19as leaders remain fiercely divided on the need
04:21for structural reforms of the energy market.
04:26The EU has set its sights on a landmark trade deal with Australia
04:30as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
04:32prepares to visit Sydney and Canberra
04:34for a final round of talks next week.
04:36The hard-fought agreement collapsed in 2023
04:39due to a stand-off over agriculture,
04:42with Canberra accusing Brussels of blocking market access
04:45for Australian meat exports.
04:47However, mounting global trade tensions
04:49and sweeping U.S. tariffs have revived negotiations
04:51as the EU races to diversify its partners.
04:54The Commission knows that 83% of EU trade
04:57now takes place with countries beyond the United States,
05:00following recent deals with India, Mexico and Indonesia.
05:03For Brussels, the deal is also a strategic move
05:06to secure critical raw materials,
05:08including lithium and cobalt,
05:10needed for the bloc's green energy transition.
05:13Beyond economy, the agreement carries significant geopolitical weight
05:16in the Indo-Pacific,
05:18where rivalry with China continues to intensify.
05:21Von der Leyen's visit marks the final stretch
05:23of a process designed to strengthen ties
05:25with a like-minded partner
05:27in one of the world's most dynamic economic regions.
05:30It's conflict.
05:32EU lawmakers have scheduled a committee vote for Thursday
05:35in a bid to revive a stalled trade deal
05:38with the United States following months of resistance.
05:41The move aims to kickstart a process long delayed
05:43by fundamental disagreements over digital rules
05:46and health standards,
05:47as well as mounting tensions over Greenland and Iran.
05:50Initially struck last summer by Ursula von der Leyen
05:53and President Donald Trump,
05:54the deal imposes 15% U.S. tariffs on EU goods
05:57while Europe cuts its own duties to zero.
06:01Brussels originally marketed the lopsided deal
06:03as the best of negative scenarios.
06:06However, the agreement was thrown into disarray
06:08earlier this year
06:09after the U.S. Supreme Court declared
06:11the President's initial tariffs illegal,
06:13adding fresh uncertainty to the terms.
06:16To reach a compromise,
06:17MEPs negotiated until the last minute
06:19to include a clause allowing the EU to suspend the deal
06:22if its territorial integrity is threatened,
06:24a direct response to previous U.S. threats
06:26regarding Greenland.
06:28A sunset clause has also been added,
06:30meaning the agreement will expire in March 2028
06:33unless it is explicitly renewed.
06:35While the European Commission is pushing for full approval
06:38by the end of the month,
06:39political groups remain divided,
06:41with some lawmakers calling for more time
06:42to debate the deal's impact.
06:44Overall.
06:50Iranians have celebrated the annual fire festival
06:53despite military attacks from Israel and the United States
06:57and the Islamic Republic's prohibition of fireworks.
07:02Reza Pallavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran,
07:06called on citizens to hold the celebrations
07:09while urging the U.S. and Israel
07:11to protect Iranians from Iranian security forces.
07:16Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
07:19called the people to celebrate,
07:20saying Israel was watching over them from above.
07:24In videos recorded in Tehran,
07:27security forces can be seen entering an apartment complex
07:31with a large convoy of vehicles
07:33while chanting slogans and gunshots can be heard.
07:42Chaharshan Bey Suri is an ancient Persian festival
07:45held on the last Wednesday of the year.
07:47It involves jumping over fire to burn away negativity
07:51and start the new year positively.
07:54In recent years,
07:55the Islamic Republic has consistently opposed these celebrations
07:59and young Iranians often use the occasion
08:02to express their discontent with the regime's policies.
08:14About 90 ships, including oil tankers,
08:17have crossed the Strait of Hormuz
08:18since the start of the conflict with Iran.
08:21The country has exported more than 16 million barrels of oil
08:24since the beginning of March,
08:26according to maritime and trade data,
08:28despite the waterway being effectively closed
08:31and Iran claiming it will attack tankers attempting to cross.
08:34Many of the vessels were engaged in so-called dark transits,
08:39evading Western sanctions and oversight,
08:41and are likely to have links to Iran.
08:44More recently,
08:45vessels linked to India and Pakistan
08:47have also crossed the Strait
08:48as governments step up negotiations.
08:51China remains the largest buyer.
08:53Oil prices rose above $100 a barrel in recent weeks,
08:57prompting U.S. President Donald Trump
08:59to urge allies and trading partners
09:01to send warships to reopen the route
09:03in a bid to bring prices down.
09:06The Strait of Hormuz is a key route
09:07for global oil and gas,
09:09carrying about one-fifth of the world's crude oil.
09:15A Russian gas tanker has been drifting
09:17in the Mediterranean Sea for nearly two weeks,
09:20posing a serious environmental threat.
09:22The massive 277-meter tanker blackened by fire
09:27has been adrift since explosions occurred
09:30on the 3rd of March,
09:31causing the crew to abandon ship.
09:32Moscow claims that the vessel,
09:34part of sanctioned Shadow Fleet,
09:36was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones.
09:39Kiev has not commented.
09:40According to Russian reports,
09:42explosions continue on board,
09:44gas leaks are being detected,
09:46and localized fires are breaking out.
09:48The tanks still contain about 700 tons of fuel
09:52and large volumes of natural gas,
09:54representing a high emergency risk.
09:57Environmental campaigners warn
09:58that a leak or explosion
10:00could cause long-term damage
10:01to one of the most biodiverse regions
10:03in the Mediterranean.
10:05The vessel is drifting
10:06approximately 50 nautical miles from Malta,
10:09where rescue specialists are already on site.
10:11Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
10:13Maria Zakharova stated that
10:16Moscow is keeping the situation under control
10:18as the flag states,
10:20but emphasized that international law
10:22places the responsibility
10:23for preventing an environmental threat
10:25on coastal states.
10:26While discussions continue
10:28over who should intervene,
10:29the gas tanker continues its uncontrolled course
10:32and the risk of an environmental disaster
10:34is growing.
10:38Argentina has formally withdrawn
10:40from the World Health Organization, WHO,
10:43one year after announcing its decision.
10:46According to Foreign Minister Pablo Cerno,
10:48Argentina's withdrawal from the WHO
10:50is effective after the formal notification
10:53made on 17 March 2025
10:56to the UN Secretary General.
10:58President Javier Miller
11:00and his team's dispute with the WHO
11:02aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's criticisms
11:06of and pending withdrawal
11:08from the international body
11:10with the U.S. administration
11:11criticizing the organization's mishandling
11:14of the COVID-19 pandemic
11:16and other global health crises.
11:19The U.S. administration handed in
11:21its formal withdrawal announcement in January.
11:24Despite the withdrawal,
11:26the government assured that it will,
11:27quote,
11:28continue to promote international cooperation
11:31in health through bilateral agreement
11:33and at regional levels.
11:35The announcement has provoked
11:38criticism from local experts
11:39who consider the measure
11:41an aberration
11:42from a health policy point of view.
11:44will be held to the UN Secretary of Commerce
11:44the UN community sanitarism
11:45from an únicαν continuación
11:46of the UN's travel
