Latest news bulletin | August 2nd – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00A per around Germany's proposal to implement tax breaks for foreigners in order to tackle
00:06a labor shortage.
00:11This is the moment three American freed prisoners landed back on U.S. soil as President Joe
00:18Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris waited to welcome them on the tarmac.
00:23It was hugs and tears that could be seen as Moscow released former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan
00:29Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Jerkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmashva.
00:36It feels wonderful. Long time in coming. I feel great. It's a long time coming. So I'm
00:45glad to be back.
00:46Meanwhile, images emerged of Russian opposition activists freed safely back in Germany.
00:53In Russia, President Vladimir Putin welcomed home eight Russian prisoners who have been
00:58released from prisons across the U.S., Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia.
01:2924 people were released from both sides in what was the biggest prisoner exchange between
01:35Russia and the West since the Cold War.
01:46Welcome to Shenzhen, about an hour north of Tirana in Albania. As you can see, it's a
01:51bustling tourism destination. But a couple of years ago, it also became home to several
01:56hundred Afghan refugees after the Taliban took back power in Afghanistan.
02:00Today, many still remain and are calling it home. But it has made headlines for another
02:05kind of migrant recently. At the end of 2023, the Albanian government and the Italian government
02:10signed an agreement that would see migrants found by the Italian authorities processed
02:16in Albania.
02:20Between here, the port and Jadra, there will be capacity of 3,000 people. They will arrive
02:24here first. They will have their details taken, but then be transferred to Jadra. Both centers
02:29are closed. That means no one can go in and no one can go out. They will be guarded and
02:34secured internally by the Italian authorities as they're technically Italian soil. Externally,
02:40the perimeter will be patrolled by Albanian authorities. When they are at the centers,
02:45they will be provided with health care, legal assistance and, of course, basic necessities,
02:49food and toiletries. Everything is funded by the Italian government.
02:56Today, I have been given exclusive information from a senior official who has said that this
03:01center behind me will be ready to accept people as of the 15th of August, meaning the initial
03:06deadline of the first of August will be missed. So there will be a capacity of 1,000 people who
03:12will be welcomed. Meanwhile, work is continuing on Jadra. They confirmed to me that both centers
03:18will be fully operational at full capacity by the start of September.
03:25So as for what local people think about these two centers, it's true there have been protests
03:29in Tirana and Leja and there are people who are against them. But I spend a lot of time in this
03:35area. I live locally here for half of the year and I've spoken to a lot of local people. And
03:40honestly, they're not really that bothered about it. They understand the centers will be closed
03:45and they're not particularly worried about any negative impact on tourism or the local economy.
03:49They've had experience with Afghans coming to live here who've integrated, who are now part
03:54of the community. They're not really that bothered. Also, they're not very keen to talk to the media
03:59for a wide range of reasons. But overall, people are not too concerned and they're hopeful that
04:04perhaps investment from the Italian government might improve some infrastructure such as
04:08electric roads in the local area.
04:13The European Union's emergency mechanism, called the Civil Protection Mechanism, is in top gear
04:18to respond to the rising danger of forest fires across the region. Through its member states,
04:24the Union has a fleet of 28 water-bombing aircraft and four helicopters. According to the EU
04:30Commission, men on the ground can also be mobilized. Fires are affecting the south of the continent in
04:36Croatia, Italy, Greece and neighboring countries.
04:43We also have pre-positioned 500, actually more than 500 firefighters in four southern European
04:49member states of the European Union. These are France, these are Portugal, but also Spain and
04:53Greece. They can be called upon to help the local first responders if the need arises.
04:59According to the EU Commission, member states can draw from satellite images from the Copernicus
05:04System, the European Earth Observation Program. To obtain this support, member states will have
05:10to contact the Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Brussels, which operates every day of
05:15the week. The national authorities transmit their requests for assistance, which are then
05:21forwarded to the various capitals. The procedure can be very rapid.
05:25This is a crisis situation, so we try to act as quickly as possible. So this can take a matter
05:32of hours, sometimes a bit longer, sometimes even just a matter of minutes. But I think the general
05:37principle is that we are trying to act as quickly as possible, since often human lives are at stake.
05:43About 600 million euros have been released by the EU to purchase 12 water-bomber aircraft,
05:51which will be available by the end of the decade. The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism was activated
05:5610 times last year to provide assistance to member states and to countries outside the continent.
06:03By mid-summer, the mechanism had already been called upon five times.
06:08Venice has banned tour guides from using megaphones and limited their groups to 25 people.
06:16The new rules on tour groups' sizes came into force on Thursday and aims to regulate crowds
06:23and improve local life. But they include exceptions for children under two, school groups and
06:29educational trips.
06:31The restrictions have also been applied to the Venetian islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
06:44The limit was supposed to come into place in June, but this was delayed,
06:49as many guides had already booked group tours of more than 25 people.
06:55Guides who break the rules could face fines from 25 euros up to 500 euros.
07:01The use of loudspeakers has also been banned,
07:05as it can generate confusion and disturbances, according to the city.
07:24The European Authority for Cultural Heritage and Zetema Progetto Cultura are offering Romans and tourists the opportunity to take a night-time stroll through the ruins of the First Imperial Forum,
07:36which go back to their 2,000-year-old splendour thanks to a virtual reconstruction.
07:42In the headphones, the unmistakable voice and oratory of Piero Angela,
07:47who, with his narration, accompanies visitors inside the majestic Temple of Venus
07:52and under the porticoes of the Ancient Forum to peek into the daily life of ancient Romans,
07:59from bankers to students, a multimedia show using films, projections, video mapping
08:05and lots of historical information to bring to life a world far away,
08:11but in the end not too different from our own in the small everyday moments.
08:16The story of the extraordinary life of Julius Caesar,
08:20idolized by some, hated by others, cannot be missed.
08:25Tourists leave the visit enthusiastic.
08:29It was amazing, really beautiful.
08:31It just made you feel like you're part of times gone by.
08:35I just love the fact that you could actually imagine as if you were really there back then.
08:41Yeah, it was really good.
08:43Did you like the visit?
08:45I liked it a lot, because I love the Roman Empire from school.
08:49I was always fascinated by Julius Caesar, so of course I liked it a lot.
08:54I didn't know a lot of facts and I learned about them today, so it's cool.
08:58I loved it.
08:59Super constructive, educational and real.
09:05The technology used, the place, the stones, how the stones are revived, it's incredible.
09:11The experience not only surprises foreign tourists,
09:14Romans and Italians are left speechless.
09:41Impressive, things that maybe they don't even teach us, but I discovered a lot today.
09:47The show is scheduled to run until the 22nd of September.
09:55Another historic day in swimming at the Paris Olympics,
09:59Canada's Summer McIntosh swam the women's 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes 0303
10:08to set the fastest time at the Summer Games.
10:13Team US Katie Ledecky won silver in the 200-meter freestyle relay
10:19to become the most decorated woman in the sport's history.
10:24More joy for the Americans in gymnastics as Simone Biles
10:29edged Brazil's Rebeca Andrade for her second Olympic all-around title at Paris 2024.
10:36In tennis, Spain's Alcaraz, Serbia's Djokovic,
10:40Italy's Musetti and Canada's Félix Auger-Aliassi reached the men's singles semifinals,
10:47while in women's basketball, Germany, France and the US moved to the quarterfinals.
10:54In surfing, an Australian judge was removed after a picture emerged on social media
11:01of him embracing a compatriot contestant along the shore's edge in Tahiti.