Latest news bulletin | August 20th – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Transcript
00:00Zelensky says Ukraine controls over 1,250 square kilometers in Russia's Kursk region.
00:12Russian authorities are still struggling to put out a fire at an oil depot caused by a
00:16Ukrainian drone strike.
00:20The search for six missing people, including UK tech billionaire Mike Lynch, continues
00:25after a yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily in bad weather.
00:31U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the Democratic Convention which
00:35kicked off on Monday in Chicago.
00:45Ukraine controls over 1,250 square kilometers in Russia's Kursk region.
00:51That is according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
00:55He adds that troops captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in a single operation,
01:00making it one of Kiev's largest efforts to liberate Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
01:2684 temporary accommodation centers opened in the Kursk region, as Russian authorities
01:33say more than 121,000 civilians were evacuated since the start of the incursion.
01:43On Sunday, the Ukrainian president addressed the aim of the incursion into Kursk for the
01:48first time, which is to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across
01:53the border.
01:55Zelensky says his troops would not have to physically enter Russian territories, particularly
01:59the Kursk region, if Ukraine partners would lift the restriction on the use of long-range
02:04weapons.
02:09Russian authorities are still struggling to put out a fire at an oil depot which was hit
02:14by Ukrainian drones three days ago.
02:18According to Russian state news agencies, the fire has burned across an area of 10,000
02:24square meters in the town of Polotarsk in the Rostov region of Russia.
02:30Reports say there are 500 firefighters attempting to tackle the flames, of which at least 41
02:36have been taken to hospital.
02:52Ukraine's Army General Staff has claimed responsibility for attacking the oil depot, which was used
02:57to supply the needs of Russia's army.
03:02It comes as Russia continues to grapple with Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region.
03:09New satellite photos appear to show Russian forces building temporary bridges to replace
03:14those blown up by Ukrainian troops.
03:18The Russian Ministry of Defense has also released footage of what it says shows bodies
03:23of soldiers and damaged Ukrainian military vehicles on a road in Kursk.
03:31Elsewhere Russia says it's destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition and weaponry depot in the Sumy
03:36region and a Ukrainian M-777 howitzer in Kharkiv.
03:45The search for six missing people continued after a yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily
03:50with at least one confirmed dead.
03:53Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her one-year-old baby
03:58over the waves to save her.
04:01Rescue teams and divers returned to the site of the storm-sunken superyacht.
04:05The missing people are believed to be trapped in the ship's hull, 50 meters underwater.
04:11Rescuers were reportedly unable to access the ship's cabins as they were blocked by
04:15debris that had shifted during a violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday.
04:21One body has been recovered, officials said.
04:25Passengers on board included UK tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his family.
04:30The vacation appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal in a fraud
04:34case, with guests including some of the people who had stood by him throughout the ordeal.
04:40The yacht had been moored about a half-mile off the coast when a storm rolled in around
04:444 a.m. Monday morning.
04:46Officials said they believe the ship was struck by a tornado over the water which had passed
04:51over the area.
04:56U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the Democratic Convention in
05:01Chicago to pay a tribute to U.S. President Joe Biden.
05:05This is going to be a great week, and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible
05:16President Joe Biden.
05:19Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation,
05:25and for all you will continue to do.
05:28We are forever grateful to you.
05:30Four weeks ago, Biden stepped aside as the party's presidential nominee to make way for
05:35his running mate Kamala Harris.
05:38The convention holds particularly high stakes for the party as it will showcase the new
05:43presidential nominee's policy objectives.
05:48Hillary Clinton also made an appearance at the convention.
05:52The former Secretary of State applauded Harris for working towards breaking what she calls
05:57the highest and hardest glass ceiling.
06:01Also on the opening day of the DNC, thousands of marchers took to the streets in a mostly
06:05peaceful protest calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
06:10Several demonstrators were arrested after breaking through a fence set up by the police.
06:15U.S. President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention,
06:24telling the audience he gave them his best and basking in a long ovation.
06:30Biden told the crowd that when Trump left office, NATO was in tatters and America's
06:34public image completely different.
06:37When Trump left office, Europe and NATO was in tatters.
06:42Not a joke.
06:45America First Doctrine changed our whole image in the world.
06:49Well, I spent, they gave the hours, about 190 hours sum total, with my counterparts
06:57or heads of state in Europe to strengthen NATO.
07:01We did.
07:02We united Europe.
07:03Look at that.
07:04We've been united for years.
07:05Biden defended his record as president, advocated for his vice president in the upcoming election
07:11and went on the attack against Trump.
07:14Just as no commander in chief should ever bow down to a dictator, the way Trump bows
07:20down to Putin, I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it, will never
07:29bow down.
07:31President Biden described his selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate four years
07:35ago, the best decision he made in his whole career.
07:38He insisted he did not harbour any ill will about the impending end of his tenure and
07:43called on the party to unite around Harris.
07:49Massive growth in the population of Ireland between 2015 and 2023 has seen demand for
07:55housing reach a ratio of now just under four to one.
07:59That means for every four persons seeking a house, only one is available.
08:04The massive demand for housing is resulting in a huge increase in property prices which
08:08is now beyond the reach of most young people.
08:12Some observers say the government is failing badly to address the needs of people who are
08:16trying to get on the property ladder.
08:18We've failed to stem that flow and failed to build appropriate social homes to allow
08:23them the dignity of being able to be housed.
08:26So we have a massive crisis here at the moment that is increasing year upon year and a massive
08:31supply and demand that doesn't mix, doesn't connect and is completely disconnected and
08:35at odds with what our needs are.
08:37Central to the massive demand for housing is the rapid rise in the population.
08:42The numbers in the country have risen from 3.6 million in the mid 1990s to a current
08:47figure of 5.1 million.
08:49However in that time the number of housing completions has fallen behind demand.
08:54A recent study found that Ireland has a higher house demand ratio than Spain, the United
08:59Kingdom, Germany and the USA.
09:02The demand per capita is twice that of Australia which is a popular destination for immigrants
09:07from all over the world.
09:09The Irish government say that despite the current figures, the rate of housing completions
09:14is improving.
09:15For ten years up to 2020 not enough homes were being built.
09:19But if I look at what we're doing now, that in the first two years of housing for all
09:23we significantly exceeded our targets.
09:26We will do so again this year by delivering private, really good social housing, social
09:32housing at a rate that we haven't seen for over 50 years and affordable homes for working
09:36people for the first time in a generation.
09:38The real problem for the Irish government is that as its economy continues to boom,
09:43Ireland will remain an attractive location for immigrants whose demand for housing will
09:47continue to surpass supply.
09:50This 4 to 1 ratio of demand and supply of houses in this country is putting pressure
09:55on the government to increase property completions.
09:58With a general election coming down the line in the coming months, housing could be the
10:02issue that determines who forms the next government in this country.
10:07This is Ken Ray for Euronews in Dublin.
10:12A German court has rejected an appeal by a 99-year-old woman who was convicted of being
10:19an accessory to more than 10,000 murders during World War II.
10:24Mgard Feuchner was indicted in December 2022 for her role as a secretary to the SS commander
10:31of the Nazis' Stutthof concentration camp.
10:34The Itzehoe court said the judges were convinced the former stenographer had a role in the
10:39deaths of thousands of prisoners killed by gassings, concentration camps and death marches.
10:47Stargazers and photographers gather across the globe to catch a glimpse of the rare blue
10:54supermoon.
10:56A supermoon is used to describe when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth.
11:01Because of this close proximity, the moon appears to be 14% larger and 30% brighter
11:08compared to when it's at its farthest distance.
11:12The lunar spectacle is especially rare as according to NASA it is also a blue moon which
11:18happens every 2-3 years.
11:21Worried that you missed it, well according to NASA the blue supermoon can be seen through
11:26early Wednesday morning.
11:28August supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles.
11:33The next supermoon will be on the night of September 18th, followed by October 17th and
11:39the final supermoon will round out the year on November 15th.