00:01Israel and Lebanon agree to extend the Israel Hezbollah cease fire while tensions remain high
00:07between the US and Iran. The war in Iran has pushed the European economy to decline in April
00:15while fueling inflation. EU leaders have gathered in Cyprus for an informal summit to discuss
00:24Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, the worsening energy crisis and the fate of the EU long-term
00:29budget. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a
00:36cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah. The initial 10-day cease fire went into effect last
00:42Friday and was set to expire on Monday. Trump called the second round of talks between Israeli
00:48and Lebanese ambassadors successful but acknowledged that they, quote, do have Hezbollah to think about.
00:53Israel wants peace with Lebanon and Israel wants security for its citizens. We're united with the
01:00Lebanese government wanting to rid the country of this malign influence called Hezbollah.
01:06Thank you so much, President Trump. Thank you for your leadership, for making sure to be presiding
01:11over this historic moment. And I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great
01:16again. Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and the United States remain high, with the standoff in
01:22the Persian Gulf intensifying as both sides continue to seize each other's vessels. Earlier
01:28on Thursday, Trump ordered the U.S. military to, quote, shoot and kill any Iranian vessel they were
01:33trying to mine the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, accused the U.S. of hindering negotiations through
01:40its blockade and threats, and said Washington was breaching its commitments.
01:50A national tribute ceremony was held on Thursday in Montauban, France, in memory of a soldier who
01:56was killed in an attack on a U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon. Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio died after
02:03the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFEL, was hit by small arms fire over the weekend.
02:10C'est l'hommage d'un régiment, c'est l'hommage de l'armée de terre, et c'est l
02:15'hommage
02:15de toute la nation pour ce soldat d'exception. L'adjudant Montorio était un sous-officier
02:22parachutiste d'exception.
02:25French President Emmanuel Macron announced a second French soldier, Master Corporal,
02:30Anissé Girardin, has died Wednesday from his injuries.
02:34C'est à cet instant où nous nous apprêtons à rendre hommage à l'adjudant Florian Montorio.
02:39Je veux avoir une pensée pour son camarade de combat, le caporal-chef Anissé Girardin,
02:46du 132e Régiment d'Infanterie Sinotechnique de Suits, également engagé dans l'opération
02:52d'Aman, qui a succombé hier après-midi des suites des blessures reçues au cours.
03:02Both Macron and UNFL have accused the militant group Hezbollah, which has denied any involvement.
03:14The war in Iran has done what no trade dispute or tariff threat has managed to achieve over
03:20the past two years.
03:23The conflict has pushed the economy into decline in April, while driving inflation sharply higher,
03:29according to S&P Global.
03:32Germany saw its first contraction in activity in almost a year,
03:36while France's slowdown deepened to its weakest level in over a year.
03:42The service sector recorded its weakest performance since the pandemic lockdowns in early 2021.
03:50Manufacturing paradoxically went the other way, but the gain is misleading.
03:54Companies are ordering inputs ahead of expected shortages and further price increases.
04:00Hence, the increase in production reflects defensive stockpiling rather than recovering demands.
04:13European Union leaders have gathered in Cyprus for an informal summit where they are discussing
04:18Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, the worsening energy crisis
04:23and the fate of the EU long-term budget.
04:26The summit will also kick off an internal process to establish a mutual assistance clause under Article 42.7
04:33of the EU treaties.
04:35It could one day stand in for NATO's Article 5, should the United States withdraw from the alliance,
04:41something that President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened.
04:45The discussion takes place in the shadow of the Iran war,
04:48and was proposed by the President of Cyprus as his country does not belong to NATO
04:53and therefore cannot benefit from the alliance's Article 5.
04:57Another major discussion topic is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
05:01that is plunging Europe into a worsening energy crisis.
05:05One notable absence during the summit is outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban,
05:10whose office said he is skipping it due to the handover of power to newly elected Peter Magyar.
05:15Two of his outstanding vetoes on the 90-billion euro loan for Ukraine
05:20and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia
05:23were lifted earlier on Thursday following the resumption of Russian oil flows
05:27through the Soviet-era Drushba pipeline.
05:31A series of Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least six people overnight
05:37after hits on multiple locations, officials in both countries said on Thursday.
05:42Authorities in Ukraine's central Dnipro region said Russian attacks on residential areas
05:48killed three people and wounded at least ten overnight into Thursday.
05:54Emergency services published a video showing firefighters tackling a blaze
05:59at the high-rise apartment block with several floors blown out and the facade cratered.
06:05While in Russia, authorities reported Ukrainian strikes killed at least three people.
06:10Meanwhile, the UK's Prince Harry on Thursday praised Ukraine's resilience
06:16and urged stronger support for the country.
06:19Speaking at the Kyiv Economic Forum, the Duke of Sussex also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin
06:26and called for an end to the war.
06:29I am not here as a politician.
06:31I am here as a soldier who understands service.
06:36As a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict.
06:39And as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war
06:45or numb to its consequences.
06:48Thursday's visit is Prince Harry's third to Ukraine
06:51since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
07:01Europe needs to fast become independent from U.S. security framework said former NATO chief Anders
07:08for Rasmussen in an interview with Euronews Europe Today.
07:12Europe should opt where possible for a European origin preference
07:16when purchasing weapons for future defenses, he said.
07:20I consider it the worst challenge for NATO during the history of a very successful alliance.
07:31So I think we in Europe should conclude we have to be able to stand on our own feet.
07:40So we should strengthen our defense, build on a coalition of the willing that could build a strong European pillar
07:50within NATO.
07:52We need a more European NATO.
07:54Relations have soured even further between Trump and his fellow NATO nations
07:59after they rejected calls to assist him in re-securing the Strait of Hormuz.
08:04The leaders, including of the U.K., Germany, France and Finland, refused to come to Trump's aid,
08:11saying NATO was a defensive alliance and they were not obliged to take part in a war of aggression.
08:17For Rasmussen, there's a political window opportunity for Europe to make its voice heard.
08:24Europe to use this situation as a leverage to change the relationship between Europe and the United States.
08:34We should speak to President Trump the same way as he speaks to us.
08:40Time has come to play hardball.
08:43Time for flattering is over.
09:09On one side it's good because then younger people who are going to be impacted by it won't be able
09:16to get addicted to smoking.
09:17But in the same breath, I would argue civil rights and older people who are informed about all the risks
09:25and everything
09:26should be able to make their own choices with it all personally.
09:30It's absolutely a really good idea.
09:32As a former smoker, I've been giving up now 15 years and it's the best thing I ever did.
09:37We know all the health risks with it.
09:38It affects every organ in your body and it's antisocial.
09:43However, you're talking about rights as well.
09:46People have a right to do things or a right to sort of do unhealthy pursuits like smoking.
09:52So that obviously comes into the equation.
10:07The main headline so far at the regional ecological summit here in Astana is that Central Asian leaders
10:13have backed President Kusimshul Matukaev's proposal to create an international water organization under the auspices of the United Nations.
10:23Initial consultations are now underway on the sidelines of this summit.
10:27The Central Asian leaders also convened yesterday for a meeting of the International Fund for Saving the RLC,
10:33the region's only platform coordinating joint action on water and environmental issues linked to the shrinking sea.
10:40One key outcome was the decision to designate 26th of March as the International Day of the RLC,
10:46as well as the Amudarya and Sirtarya rivers.
10:49Leaders also discussed plans to roll out a unified monitoring system across both river basins
10:54to ensure more transparent and reliable data.
10:57Today marks the second day of the Central Asian Conference on Climate Change,
11:02which acts as a strategic bridge between COP summits,
11:06helping governments align on adaptation, financing and regional cooperation.
11:11Officials and international organizations are discussing climate policy priorities,
11:15funding needs and ways to strengthen the next round of nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement.
11:23The day also began with a high-level dialogue under the Tehran Convention focused on strengthening cooperation
11:30to address falling water levels in the Caspian Sea, as well as pollution and biodiversity loss.
11:36The aim is to secure political backing and mobilize investment for a regional action plan.
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