00:01The EU Energy and Housing Commissioner, Dan Juergensen, has warned that the massive energy
00:07crisis sparked by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran will likely have long-term repercussions
00:12for consumers.
00:13This is not a short-term, small increase in prices.
00:22This is a crisis that is probably as serious as the 1973 and the 2022 crises combined.
00:36And this means that we are looking into some very difficult months or maybe even years,
00:45depending, of course, on the development in the Middle East.
00:48But even in a best-case scenario, it's still bad.
00:52The war in Iran has throttled global oil and gas markets and rattled the EU as a major
00:58importer of energy.
01:00Juergensen told reporters that EU governments remain very worried about possible jet fuel
01:05shortages, especially as tourism season approaches.
01:08On Tuesday, EU transportation ministers discussed how to protect consumers at home and at the
01:14pump after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has maybe six weeks
01:19supply left of jet fuel.
01:22Kaya Kalas, the EU's foreign chief, warned that if the fighting resumes, it will come
01:26at a very large cost for all.
01:33A second French soldier has died in Lebanon from his injuries.
01:38Staff caporal Anissé Girardin died on Wednesday, the French president announced on X.
01:45The soldier had been caught up in the same attack last Saturday that claimed the life of warrant
01:50officer Florian Montaurier.
01:52He had been repatriated from Lebanon the day before.
01:56French president Emmanuel Macron pays an emotional tribute to the memory of staff caporal Anissé Girardin
02:03and his sacrifice.
02:05Anissé Girardin was working alongside warrant officer Florian Montaurier to clear a route
02:11booby-trapped by an improvised explosive device, the French minister for armed forces stated
02:16on X.
02:17He came under heavy fire from Hezbollah fighters, lying in ambush at very close range.
02:22He was coming to the aid of his unit commander, who had just been hit when he himself was
02:28seriously wounded, added Catherine Vautrin.
02:31The French authorities attributed the attack to Hezbollah.
02:35The Islamist group, an ally of Iran, denied being behind the ambush.
02:43Former Finnish Prime Minister Saino Marin believes Europe is vulnerable without Ukraine and demands
02:49the EU build its own military capabilities and increase European nuclear deterrence.
02:57Speaking with Euronews on Wednesday, Saino Marin said Europe cannot rule out a war with Russia
03:02and so must adequately prepare.
03:05Russia is, as we speak, they are preparing themselves, they are modernizing their army
03:11and they are preparing themselves to much wider fight.
03:16So they're preparing for war with Europe?
03:17The rest of the continent?
03:19I wouldn't rule that out.
03:20And we also need to prepare.
03:22And for that we need strong Ukraine because Ukraine has the largest, most functional and
03:27modern army with modern warfare experience.
03:31Speaking about NATO, the former Finnish Prime Minister said the Defence Alliance is a different
03:36organization now than it was before.
03:39Because of the changing relationship between US and Europe, it has already changed and it is
03:45changing and this is a fact that we cannot escape.
03:47And it means that we need to focus on our own game.
03:50We cannot anymore only rely on the US presence and US capabilities.
03:55We have to build our own.
03:56And now we are speaking European defence capabilities and European unity, European military forces.
04:04And I think this is extremely necessary discussion.
04:07And we should also discuss more about the European nuclear deterrence.
04:12This is a discussion that I see happening already and the necessity to have it.
04:21Germany is reorganizing its armed forces.
04:25German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius presented a military strategy on Wednesday.
04:30The German government has analyzed how threats could develop in the future,
04:35which scenarios are realistic and which potential conflicts Germany must prepare for.
04:40The German military strategy was rarely available for.
04:41Disneyland was a military strategy like in this historical phase.
04:45The threatening situation has weakened us,
04:47especially since the Turkey's war against the Ukraine.
04:50Also, the international law has taken us from over the age ofTree.
04:54The international law has been placed so much in question as no longer,
04:56or probably since the Second World War.
05:00The World War has been turned more difficult, and yes,
05:03you have to say, it has been dangerous.
05:05This rethink strategy includes air defense, long-range weapon systems and the ability to conduct modern data-based combat.
05:13New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, will also play a greater role in the future.
05:19Another focus is on deep strike capabilities, the ability to hit targets far behind the front line.
05:26Pistorius made it clear that such capabilities will become increasingly important in the future.
05:31This includes long-range precision weapons that can be used to take out enemy supply routes, command centers or infrastructure
05:38at an early stage.
05:40In parallel to the reorganization of content, the German government is planning a significant expansion of the Bundeswehr.
05:48The aim is to have a total of 460,000 soldiers consisting of active troops and reserves.
05:55There are currently around 184,300 active soldiers.
06:05The European Union has formally launched the internal process to unblock the €90 billion loan for Ukraine and the 20th
06:13package of sanctions against Russia.
06:15Hungary or Slovakia may still prevent the adoption, but diplomats believe it is unlikely following the restoration of the Druzhba
06:23oil pipeline.
06:23The procedure is expected to be concluded on Thursday.
06:28So indeed, once the measure is taken also by the Council, we can move on and without wasting any further
06:39time on moving on to the next steps in terms of being able to disburse the Ukrainian loan amounts to
06:52Ukraine.
06:53Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the pipeline, damaged in late January by Russian drones, was repaired and could resume
07:02operations.
07:17The EU loan has been blocked for months by outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
07:22He has accused Kyiv of blocking oil flows for political reasons.
07:31Thousands of high school and university students marched through the Czech capital on Wednesday to protest against a government plan
07:38to overhaul and reduce funding for public radio and television.
07:43The new coalition government, led by populist Prime Minister Andrei Babis, drafted the plan to scrap the fees that individuals,
07:50households and businesses pay to access the outlets.
07:54Instead, the public media would be fully dependent on the state budget. Critics say that would compromise their independence.
08:02The media's labor unions said they were ready to go on strike if the government goes ahead with the legislation,
08:08which could take effect next year.
08:14The first of its kind regional ecological summit aimed at addressing Central Asia's environmental challenges has opened today in Astana,
08:23Kazakhstan.
08:23Proposed by President Kasim Jumar Tokayev three years ago, the initiative is being held in partnership with the United Nations.
08:32The goal is to create an open dialogue platform to develop joint action plans and build a more environmentally and
08:39economically resilient future for the five Central Asian states.
08:42Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.
08:46Leaders from across the region are now convening in a high-level opening session chaired by Tokayev.
08:53They are expected to adopt a joint declaration on regional cooperation in ecology and sustainable development.
08:59Water management has emerged as a central theme running throughout the summit.
09:04Tokayev has previously proposed the creation of an international water organization under UN auspices.
09:11The initial consultations are set to launch on the sidelines of this summit.
09:15The region continues to grapple with long-running crises of the RLC as well as falling water levels in the
09:21Caspian Sea,
09:22which are dropping by around 10 centimeters a year, posing risks to biodiversity and key shipping routes.
09:29A separate high-level meeting is also scheduled later today between the heads of states of the founding members of
09:36the International Fund for Saving the RLC.
09:39In total, 14 additional sessions are planned, focusing on climate action, sustainability and green finance.
09:52For a few days, Madrid was able to experience a small window into Macau as the Chinese Special Administrative Region
10:00pulled out all the stops to captivate the Spanish public.
10:04During the Experience Macau Madrid event, more than 20 booths featured offerings of technology, culture, cuisine and interactive experiences, from
10:13driving simulators to traditional workshops.
10:17The goal is to attract Spanish tourists who can connect to Macau's heritage because of the territory's Portuguese roots.
10:24They feel like home as well as they feel Chinese. They can try Chinese food as well as Western Portuguese
10:33food, which is quite similar to Spanish.
10:37They feel a mixture of Chinese, Asian and European.
10:43With more than 40 million annual visitors in recent years, the territory is now looking to expand its presence in
10:50markets such as Europe.
10:51For last year, we saw the statistics of increasing Spanish people coming to Macau to a double digit.
11:04Tourism is one of the territory's main incomes, with tourists mostly coming from mainland China and Hong Kong.
11:10But it now hopes to diversify this profile.
11:14During a few days, Madrid has been an open door to Macau, a region of more than 750,000 inhabitants
11:20within just 30 square kilometers.
11:23A place where to discover its culture, its gastronomy and its mix of influences without leaving the city.
11:28The event ends, but Macau's campaign continues to approach the destination to the traveler, even before the trip starts.
11:34Juan Carlos de Santos, from Madrid, for Euronews.
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