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00:00 5 people died, including 4 children, after 2 boats carrying dozens of migrants sank in
00:06 the Aegean Sea.
00:10 Ukrainian forces advance in Zaporizhia region, while Russia reports heavy fighting in Donetsk.
00:22 At least 5 people have drowned after 2 boats carrying dozens of migrants sank in the Aegean
00:27 Sea.
00:28 The deceased include 4 children and a woman.
00:32 The Greek Coast Guard was able to rescue 18 survivors from the first vessel and transported
00:36 them to the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos.
00:40 Authorities say the boat in distress was located 3 nautical miles inside Turkey's territorial
00:45 waters.
00:47 While Turkish officials were informed of the situation, they did not respond, prompting
00:51 the Greeks to issue a rescue order.
00:54 Athens says the country has seen an increase in migration flows due to summer weather.
00:59 Over the weekend, the Coast Guard located and rescued 98 migrants in three different
01:04 missions.
01:05 According to UN figures, over 14,000 people have reached Greece by sea or land so far
01:11 this year, equaling 10% of Mediterranean migrant crossings.
01:20 Ukrainian forces are claiming important advances in their counter-offensive in the Zaporizhia
01:24 region.
01:27 The Ministry of Defense says the army has completely regained control over one of the
01:31 key points at the center of recent heavy fighting, the village of Robotino.
01:35 Russia has reported fighting in Donetsk region near Bakhmut, where there's heavy artillery
02:04 fire.
02:05 No major destruction in Russia has been reported.
02:10 In the Ukrainian city of Kriviri, nightly Russian missile strikes have destroyed two
02:14 private houses.
02:18 The Russian air defense forces say they shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle flying towards
02:23 Moscow in the Leobardsky area of the city.
02:27 There were no casualties or serious damage, but officials say local residents were frightened
02:31 by the attack.
02:40 The European Union must be ready to enlarge by 2030.
02:45 That's what the president of the EU Council said in Slovenia, where he outlined his vision
02:49 for the bloc to reflect the profound geopolitical shift following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
02:56 "Finally, enlargement is no longer a dream.
03:02 It's time to move forward.
03:04 There is still a lot of work to do.
03:07 It will be difficult.
03:08 It will be complex, sometimes painful for the future member states and for the EU.
03:16 But let's be clear.
03:19 If we want to be credible, I believe we must talk about timing."
03:26 After Russia's illegal invasion in 2022, the EU gave Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina
03:33 candidate status.
03:35 Engagement was also stepped up with other Western Balkan countries - Montenegro, Serbia,
03:40 North Macedonia and Albania - who also are official candidates, and Georgia's aspirations
03:45 are also being taken seriously.
03:47 The French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday said that the EU needs to reform itself
03:52 first if it wants to integrate new nations, and has to build consensus with more than
03:57 30 member countries, which is expected to be a difficult process.
04:01 Experts also agree that the momentum is there, but the accession model has to change so that
04:05 the functioning of the EU itself is preserved.
04:08 "The enlargement of the European Union, of course, risks bringing at the table more veto-wielding
04:16 member states and thus slowing down the process of seeking consensus on not the issue.
04:24 So unless decision-making is not reformed, qualified majority voting streamlines the
04:31 problems of an enlarged union and its smooth functioning, risks only aggravating at that
04:37 stage.
04:38 And that will in particular be so if indeed issues of rule of law, respect for democracy
04:44 are not well settled in these new member states."
04:50 Both Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in June, and several voices are calling
04:55 for the EU to open accession talks by December.
05:05 Just one year after prices broke all records, the energy crisis in Europe seems to be over,
05:10 at least for now.
05:12 Monthly household bills that ran to hundreds of euros are over for the time being, as prices
05:17 have now dropped to pre-Ukraine war levels.
05:20 Experts say that while there will be some ups and downs, customers should now have a
05:23 little more breathing space.
05:25 "The volatility is always in the order of 5, 10, 20 percent fluctuation.
05:32 It's nothing as dramatic as we have seen and we are used to now see on the market.
05:39 We need to remember that the fundamentals are also pretty encouraging when it comes
05:45 for example with the gas storage.
05:47 Gas storage in Europe is now full by more than 90 percent and demand for gas in Europe
05:54 remains reduced in the order of 20 percent vis-à-vis the pre-crisis level."
06:01 A year ago gas prices marked their record high, reaching 300 euros per megawatt hour,
06:07 while gas storage facilities were at 79 percent.
06:10 This August the situation is much better, with prices at 34 euros per megawatt hour
06:15 and storage facilities almost full.
06:17 And that should allow governments to change course.
06:21 "So while last year governments have jumped into this field by subsidizing energy bills
06:29 for all, it is now very important not to do that anymore because we are not in the middle
06:34 of a crisis, but to be very selective and provide targeted support to the most vulnerable
06:39 in society."
06:41 Surprises can't be ruled out this coming winter, but right now observers expect the
06:45 situation to get better as the EU deepens its energy transition and moves away from
06:50 its dependency on Russian gas.
06:59 France has banned the biodress from schools, saying it contravenes the country's strict
07:02 policy to outlaw any conspicuous religious symbols in keeping with the French notion
07:07 of a secular state.
07:09 The decision announced by Education Minister Gabrielle Attal has divided opinion.
07:13 "A abaya is a dress for the heat.
07:17 It's people who want to transform it into a religious dress, but it's not a religious
07:23 dress at all.
07:24 Really.
07:25 For example, in my country I didn't even wear an abaya, and here, when it's summer and
07:28 it's hot, I wear it, that's all."
07:31 There are those who reject the decision, those who approve of it, and those who think it
07:34 is totally artificial.
07:36 "Since abaya, the French don't ban it in the streets, so it's freedom.
07:43 And in schools, there are places where it may be necessary to ban it, I'm for it."
07:49 "I suppose there are much more important and relevant issues to deal with at the moment,
07:55 which are the distress of hospitals, whether they are psychiatric or other, school, everyday
08:02 life for the French.
08:03 There are many things that don't go."
08:07 According to the government, violations of secularism in schools increased by 120% in
08:11 the last two years.
08:13 Some say their use has gained ground thanks mainly to social networks.
08:20 Another day, another court hearing for Donald Trump in Washington DC.
08:24 Judge Tanya Chutkan set a March 4 trial date for the federal case, alleging he tried to
08:30 overturn the 2020 election.
08:32 The judge rejected the April 2026 date requested by Trump's lawyers, but set a date later than
08:38 prosecuting special counsel Jack Smith had requested.
08:42 Although he's facing four separate criminal cases, Donald Trump remains a front-runner
08:47 for the 2024 Republican Party's presidential nomination.
08:51 At home in Berlin, Simon Valfisch is a professional British opera singer.
09:05 He took the decision to relocate to Germany with his family to overcome what he sees as
09:13 the barriers to musicians brought about by Brexit.
09:16 "What used to be possible, get the call on the Friday, turn up on the Monday, start working
09:21 in another EU country is now simply not possible.
09:25 And that is infuriating and totally pointless."
09:30 For British musicians, the cost of arranging visas, work permits and additional travel
09:35 expenses has surged.
09:37 Schengen visa limitations also restrict professionals to just 90 days in a 180-day period within
09:44 the EU.
09:45 The UK-EU trade agreement also lacks provisions for short-term travel for freelance creative
09:51 professionals.
09:52 "What we've done is shot ourselves in the foot completely."
09:57 Simon, who continues to perform across Europe, sees himself as one of the lucky ones able
10:02 to take advantage of his grandmother's German heritage.
10:07 Anita Laska Valfisch, a German-born Jewish Auschwitz survivor, understands and supports
10:12 her grandson's decision to take up German citizenship.
10:16 "He is a real European.
10:18 And of course these stupid Brexit people didn't give it thought for anything.
10:22 As far as we are concerned, this is a total practical decision.
10:27 German, English, European."
10:31 Here at the Royal Albert Hall, the impact of Brexit on the music industry is reverberating.
10:35 A recent survey by the Independent Society of Musicians found UK musicians are grappling
10:40 with dwindling opportunities within the EU.
10:43 Half of them report a decline in European-based opportunities since Brexit, and a quarter
10:49 are left with no engagements at all inside the European Union.
10:53 Sean Patel was too young to vote in the Brexit referendum.
10:57 A baritone singer recently recruited to work at a Danish opera house, only for the opportunity
11:02 to fall apart due to visa complications.
11:04 "They were completely honest.
11:06 They said because of Brexit, because of my situation as a British citizen, it's going
11:12 to be more difficult for me to be able to come over.
11:15 I was their first choice, but unfortunately just couldn't get it in time."
11:20 Sean is now going through the process of applying for an EU passport through his Irish heritage.
11:26 But British musicians who don't have that option are now calling for a bespoke visa
11:31 waiver agreement with the EU to be allowed to continue to play on in Europe.
11:36 Luke Hanrahan, Euronews, London.
11:38 (roaring)
11:40 (whooshing)