Latest news bulletin | August 27th – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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00:00UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for de-escalation amid the Blue Line fire
00:08exchanges.
00:11French President Emmanuel Macron did not name a prime minister and will hold a new round
00:16of consultations.
00:21UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for the immediate de-escalation as cross-border
00:31attacks between Israel and Lebanon intensify.
00:35On Sunday, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern
00:40at the exchange of fire that had taken place across the Blue Line.
00:44These actions, he said, put both the Lebanese and Israeli populations at risk, as well threatening
00:50regional security and stability.
00:53Meanwhile, more than 600 UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to carry out their mission at the
00:58Spanish base in southern Lebanon.
01:01They find themselves amid the clashes across the Blue Line, that is the unofficial line
01:05that separates Israel and Lebanon.
01:07Phase 2 has just sounded, which means that all personnel outside the buildings must wear
01:14a vest and helmet, and all patrols outside the positions must retreat to the nearest
01:20The Spanish Blue Helmets are in charge of bringing water every day to the advanced positions
01:25of the Blue Line.
01:26In the end, you do this, we come for a mission and this is what we are doing and that's it.
01:35UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasizes the conflict's impact on civilians bordering
01:41the Blue Line, but confirms that the escalation in the region has not had a significant humanitarian
01:47impact.
01:48French President Emmanuel Macron did not name a leftist prime minister and will hold
01:58a new round of consultations in an effort to form a new government.
02:03The left-wing New Popular Front Alliance won the most seats in July's snap legislative
02:08elections, but not enough to govern.
02:12The party nominated Lucie Castaix as prime minister, who says she is ready to govern
02:17and willing to compromise to get things done.
02:20We are here to remind the president the importance of respecting the election results and to
02:26get the country out of the paralysis in which it is plunged.
02:31We have come to propose a solution of stability.
02:34But far-right leaders that met with Macron on Monday said the party would block a prime
02:39ministerial candidate from the left-wing alliance.
02:43Our position remains unchanged compared to the one we expressed in the legislative elections.
02:49The New Popular Front, in its program, in its movements and in the personalities that
02:54it embodies, represents today a danger for public order, for civil peace and of course
03:00for the country's economic life.
03:01Marine Le Pen called for an exception for the National Assembly to be convened before
03:06a prime minister is appointed.
03:10The New Popular Front said they would not partake new consultations with Macron unless
03:15it was to discuss Castaix's nomination.
03:22Migrant communities in Germany are becoming increasingly concerned by rising support for
03:28the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party ahead of upcoming state elections.
03:34Three states, Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, will hold elections in September and polls
03:40show that in all three, the AfD has the lead.
03:45The party is known for its fierce anti-immigrant rhetoric, leveraging migration as a key voter
03:50concern in eastern Germany.
04:10Daniel Egbe acquired German citizenship in 2003, but he fears this still won't be enough
04:22if the AfD gains power.
04:24The migrant debate has also been exacerbated by the knife attack in Solingen, which was
04:41allegedly perpetrated by a rejected Syrian asylum seeker who should have been deported
04:46last year.
04:50German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has responded by pledging stricter deportation rules.
04:59German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to toughen knife laws and step up deportations as he
05:05visited the scene of the fatal knife attack in the German city of Solingen.
05:19A suspected Islamic extremist from Syria is accused of killing three people and wounding
05:44eight others.
05:46The suspect turned himself in to the police the day after the attack at a festival marking
05:51the city's 650th anniversary.
05:54The 26-year-old's asylum application was rejected and he was supposed to be deported last year
06:00to Bulgaria, where he first entered the European Union.
06:05The attack reopened discourse over migration and deportation, a topic that remains highly
06:10divided among public opinion.
06:14This confirms that there were three different gatherings in Solingen as various groups took
06:18to the streets to demonstrate.
06:23Lithuania and Latvia are the latest EU countries to express concern over Hungary's easing of
06:29entry rules to nationals from Russia and Belarus.
06:34Hungary's National Card immigration scheme, which has now been relaxed to include Russia
06:39and Belarus, allows guest workers to stay in the country for at least two years and
06:44can pave the way to permanent residency.
06:49Foreign and interior ministers of the Baltic and Nordic states have written to the EU Commission,
06:54expressing concern over these changes, which they say could jeopardise the security of
06:59the passport-free Schengen area.
07:03There was never Schengen free for Russian diplomats with hostile intentions and there
07:07was never Schengen free for possible security breaches by certain countries. So this is
07:14why we take it very seriously as a security risk.
07:18The Hungarian government has dismissed these concerns, saying national cards would be issued
07:23in accordance with the relevant EU framework.
07:27Five of Berlin's highest awarded fine dining restaurants have shut up shop over the last
07:3412 months.
07:36Others in the capital of the world's third largest economy are revamping concepts in
07:41a bid to attract customers and keep their restaurants alive.
07:45Head chef Sebastian Frank at the double Michelin starred restaurant Horvath says the situation
07:50is serious.
08:04According to a recent study, around one in ten restaurants closed across Germany in 2023
08:11alone. Experts are warning that many more bankruptcies and closures could be on the
08:18way after restaurants were hit by soaring inflation before they could fully recover
08:41from the pandemic closures.
08:43The German hotel and catering association De Hogar already sounded the alarm back in
08:47January that restaurants would have to close down after the government reintroduced the
08:53restaurant VAT from 7 to 19 percent following the pandemic. And it seems their predictions
09:00are already coming true.
09:13For many of Berlin's fine dining restaurants, it's a matter of time before the government
09:432023 bought little profit. And it seems that despite the Euros, 2024 could also leave the
09:50same bitter aftertaste.
09:55As France's largest glacier, the Mer de Glace in Chamonix, melts rapidly, tourists are seizing
10:01what may be their last opportunity to witness it before it disappears entirely.
10:07Over the years, the glacier has become increasingly difficult to reach, but a newly constructed
10:12cable car now provides easier access for the thousands of visitors who come each year.
10:31According to glaciologist Luc Moreau, the construction of the cable car will allow people
10:36to observe the consequences of global warming at close quarters, whilst promoting local
10:42tourism.
10:56Experts can only sound the alarm about the rapidly melting glacier, a visible indicator
11:02of climate change. They are now more committed than ever to raising awareness of the urgent
11:07need for conservation.
11:12Rock legends Oasis have announced they will be reuniting for the first time since 2009
11:19and will play reunion shows next year in a world tour. Both Noel and Liam Gallagher shared
11:24the news of the Oasis Live 25 tour on their social media sites. Though they've called
11:30it a world tour, the shows confirmed so far include dates only in the UK and Ireland in
11:36July and August 2025.
11:39Tickets go on sale this Saturday.