Latest news bulletin | July 31st – Morning
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00:00The Israeli military says it's carried out an airstrike on Beirut.
00:11Germany's High Court has partially accepted electoral law reform but rejected a proposal
00:16that would discriminate against smaller parties.
00:23The Israeli military says it has carried out a strike on Beirut, targeting the Hezbollah
00:29commander allegedly behind the deaths of 12 children and teens killed in the rocket attack
00:35on Golan Heights.
00:37The strike hit Beirut's southern suburb of Herat Reich, damaging several buildings including
00:43an apartment building next to a hospital.
00:49Lebanon's state-run national news agency reported the airstrike was carried out with
00:54a drone that launched three rockets.
00:58It is not yet clear whether any Hezbollah official was hit.
01:08Eleven people were injured as a result of Russian attacks in the Kherson region, according
01:13to Ukrainian police.
01:15Three children were reportedly amongst the injured.
01:19Moscow's forces attacked the area with artillery, mortars and multiple launch rocket systems.
01:26The Russian military also used drones to drop explosives on targets.
01:31Residential, administrative and educational buildings were damaged along with critical
01:37infrastructure according to the regional authorities.
01:40A 63-year-old woman was reported to be hospitalized along with a 16-year-old who is in critical
01:46condition.
01:48The situation in the nation remains dire following Russia's invasion, but Ukraine is pushing
01:53back.
01:54They reportedly hit a military airfield about 1,800 km into the Russian border, damaging
02:01a supersonic bomber plane, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson.
02:08It's the first time since 2019 that an Italian prime minister has set foot in China and the
02:15first visit for Meloni since taking office, a way to relaunch the relationship between
02:20Rome and Beijing and to strengthen economic cooperation after removing Italy from the
02:25Belt and Road Initiative.
02:27Boosting the growth of Italy's automotive sector, one of the country's most strategic
02:31industries, was among the main purposes of the agreement signed between Rome and Beijing.
02:36We spoke to one of the members of the Italian delegation who travelled to China on behalf
02:40of the business sector.
03:27Renewable energies are the focus of the agreement.
03:44With Italy and other member states changing their engagement with China and tariffs being
03:48imposed on some Chinese goods, experts say the EU is faced with a need to redefine its
04:24The Prime Minister Meloni noted that Chinese investments in Italy account for a third compared
04:31with Italian investments in China, and she vowed to fill that gap.
04:36Giorgio Arlandi for EUROnews in Rome.
04:44A third girl has died following a stabbing spree at a children's Taylor Swift-themed
04:48event in the United Kingdom.
04:51She was one of six wounded children who had been in critical condition following Monday's
04:56attack on a dance centre in Southport for children aged six to ten.
05:01Two children had died in the attack earlier.
05:04A 17-year-old boy is being held in connection with the attack.
05:09Police have said the motivation for the attack was unclear, but that it was not being treated
05:13as terror-related.
05:14Germany's highest court has upheld a proposal to downsize its parliament, but overturned
05:24a plan change that would disproportionately impact smaller parties.
05:29The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled the abolition of the so-called Basic
05:35Mandate clause unlawful.
05:39It came after they received objections from the centre-right Christian Social Union and
05:43the smaller left party, who feared the change could cost them their chance to send lawmakers
05:48to Berlin.
05:50The maintaining of this rule means that parties receiving less than 5% of the vote will still
05:56be represented in the Bundestag if they have at least three directly elected lawmakers.
06:02However, the core elements of the electoral reform will remain in place.
06:07This includes the cutting down of the Bundestag from 736 members to 630, as well as the abolition
06:15of the overhang and compensatory mandates.
06:23Extreme heat continues to scorch Europe, with nine municipalities across Spain under orange
06:29warnings for high temperatures.
06:34According to Spain's meteorological agency, the hottest region is expected to be Andalusia,
06:40where the temperature is set to rise to 42 degrees in the provinces of Granada and Haen.
06:46Romania is also suffering from an ongoing heatwave, with temperatures expected to exceed
06:5240 degrees in the second half of the week.
06:57Meanwhile, wildfires are spreading in Greece, Albania, North Macedonia and Croatia.
07:04Evacuation orders are in place in several Greek regions, and firefighters spent the
07:09night battling a blaze on the island of Evia.
07:14Fires in Albania and North Macedonia are threatening many residential areas, and in Croatia, firefighters
07:21are attempting to control a huge blaze near the town of Skradin.
07:25The extreme heat is emanating from a large mass of hot air which has travelled across
07:30the Mediterranean from North Africa, and brought with it dust from the desert.
07:36In Portugal, people have been urged to limit outdoor activity and keep their windows closed
07:41where possible, owing to the poor air quality.
07:49Holidays are approaching, and while some are dreaming about relaxing in the sun, many people
07:54won't be able to get away.
07:56An EU report has shown that in 2022, 40 million European workers were not able to spend a
08:03week away from home, and that number is increasing, with the cost of going abroad being one of
08:08the reasons.
08:10The cost of living is never decreasing, it's always increasing, so the prices are always
08:16higher.
08:17The reason, of course, is the global economy, and the holiday budget is still a famous budget.
08:26You still have to count the minimum for a person, 1,500, 2,000 euros, so if you're
08:313 or 4, it's a quick figure.
08:36Working conditions can also be to blame.
08:39Compared to 2023, 2 million more people will have to stay at home this year, making up
08:52around 14.6% of EU citizens.
08:56And what's shocking is, it used to be the case that working in Europe meant you could
09:00afford a holiday.
09:01Five days, we're talking a week away, either in your own country or in another country.
09:08According to the European Trade Union Confederation, holidays are key to avoid discrimination
09:13towards children, but are also important for workers.
09:17It's also unsafe for workers, so workers need to have time to recuperate.
09:22That is seriously important for addressing burnout and making sure that you come back
09:26to work restored and refreshed.
09:30Around 30% of people in Romania, Cyprus and Greece are not able to afford a week away
09:35from home.
09:38Team Japan House opened its doors in Paris for the 2024 Summer Games.
09:48The house will function as a place where the Japanese Olympic Committee will hold press
09:53conferences and also introduce Japanese culture to the public.
09:57That's why the Team Japan House is currently hosting an exhibition showcasing how the previous
10:03Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 have had an impact on the ongoing Paris Games.
10:10Like for example, these infamous cardboard bed frames for athletes.
10:15They made their debut in Tokyo three years ago.
10:18By flipping this or changing this, you can easily customize the firmness of the mattress
10:30as a whole.
10:31Recyclable beds and uniforms are not the only integral parts of the Tokyo 2021 heritage.
11:32Japanese athletes are expected to participate in the Paris Olympics, the largest delegation
11:38from the Asian continent.
11:40Sofia Katsenkova reporting from Paris for Euronews.