Latest news bulletin | April 2nd – Morning
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/04/02/latest-news-bulletin-april-2nd-morning
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Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/04/02/latest-news-bulletin-april-2nd-morning
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the European Union is
00:05prepared to push back against Donald Trump's tariffs.
00:09A powerful storm hit the Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos, triggering widespread flooding
00:17and destruction.
00:21Belgium took the next step in the fight against tobacco products.
00:24There shall be no public display, the new law says.
00:30Tensions between the U.S. and the EU escalate ahead of what Trump calls Liberation Day.
00:35European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the European Union is
00:38prepared to push back against Donald Trump's plans to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs
00:43on all U.S. trading partners.
00:46Speaking before the European Parliament, von der Leyen emphasized Europe's leverage in
00:49negotiations, citing its vast single market and economic strength.
00:54That we have everything we need to protect our people and our prosperity.
01:00We have the largest single market in the world.
01:04We have the strength to negotiate.
01:06We have the power to push back.
01:08Von der Leyen criticized the proposed tariffs, warning they would raise consumer prices,
01:13destroy jobs and harm both U.S. companies and global trade.
01:16She described the measures as counterproductive to Trump's goal of re-industrializing America.
01:22The EU is already preparing countermeasures after delaying retaliation against earlier
01:26U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and cars.
01:30Von der Leyen urged unity among EU leaders, stressing that while Europe did not start
01:34this confrontation, it is ready to act decisively.
01:37We think it is wrong.
01:38We do not necessarily want to retaliate, but if it is necessary, we have a strong plan
01:45to retaliate and we will use it.
01:48Last year, the EU recorded a 156 billion euro trade surplus with the U.S., but a 108 billion
01:54euro deficit in services.
02:02At least two people have been killed and several others injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine,
02:09according to local media.
02:11One civilian was reportedly killed and five others injured after Russia struck Zaporizhia.
02:18The regional governor said the attack destroyed and damaged residential buildings and social
02:23facilities.
02:24This included dozens of homes as well as a local church and school.
02:32A further civilian was killed and another injured by Russian attacks in Donetsk, according
02:36to the regional governor there.
02:38Other parts of Ukraine, including Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipro, were also reportedly
02:43attacked.
02:44Ukraine's general staff said Russia launched two missiles and 99 airstrikes at Ukrainian
02:50units and settlements on Monday.
02:54More than 2,000 drones were used for the strikes they added.
03:01The fourth U.S. soldier who went missing in Lithuania last Tuesday has been confirmed
03:04dead, country's president Gitanas Nauseda announced.
03:08Ukraine follows the recovery of three bodies on Monday after their armored vehicle, an
03:12M-88 Hercules, was pulled from a swampy area at the General Silvestra Zakauskas Training
03:17Ground near Pavrade.
03:20The soldiers had gone missing during a tactical training exercise early last Tuesday.
03:24Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. personnel conducted a massive six-day search through
03:29dense forests and challenging terrain before locating the submerged vehicle in 4.5 meters
03:35of water.
03:36U.S. Navy divers faced extreme conditions navigating thick layers of mud, clay and sediment
03:42with zero visibility to attach steel cables to the 63-ton Hercules.
03:48Additional heavy dozers were brought in to help pull the vehicle free after it began
03:52losing traction during recovery efforts.
03:55Lithuanian forces provided helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, drones and hundreds of tons of gravel
04:01and earth to support the operation.
04:03Both the U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating how the vehicle ended up
04:08sinking into the swamp.
04:14A powerful storm hit the Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos on Monday, triggering widespread
04:20flooding and prompting authorities to close schools and impose a ban on all traffic except
04:25emergency vehicles.
04:28Heavy rainfall in Paros' main towns of Perikia and Naousa caused floodwaters that surged
04:33through streets, carrying cars and debris past whitewashed buildings.
04:39Authorities on Paros said 13 people stranded in the storm were taken by firefighters to
04:44their homes, adding that no one was reported injured or missing.
04:49On Mykonos, where the flooding was less intense, excavators were used to clear a path for floodwater
04:55and it gushed past seafront cafes and restaurants.
04:59Several islands near Paros in the Cyclades group, which is southeast of the mainland
05:03in the Aegean Sea, remain under severe weather warnings through Tuesday.
05:14Thousands of slaughtered farm animals are said to be buried in a small town in northern
05:19Hungary near the border with Austria.
05:23They were ordered to be killed after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on a farm in Lavel.
05:29It can take up to 10 days before all of the cattle animals are slaughtered.
05:33A huge animal mass grave was excavated for the more than 3,000 animals.
05:39In addition to lime and straw, a two-meter layer of soil will be placed over the carcasses.
05:45But some locals are concerned that the carcasses could contaminate groundwater.
05:53The disease was identified last Wednesday, after which the decision was taken to call
06:10the animals.
06:13Police officers are checking that only vets and workers are allowed on the affected premises.
06:20The owner of the Western Gate Cooperative, an Austrian-born Hungarian citizen, has been
06:24keeping animals in Lavel for 30 years.
06:28Now his entire farm could be at risk.
06:31All the cattle on the farm needs to be slaughtered, despite only 5 percent of the herd being infected.
06:50The mass culling of healthy cattle can also be very emotionally distressing for livestock
07:09farmers.
07:21Trucks arriving at and leaving the farm are also disinfected.
07:41Another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has also been detected in Slovakia, with trucks
07:46having to pass through a disinfectant at the border crossing with Hungary.
07:53Belgium has implemented a new regulation this week, banning the display of cigarettes
08:16and other tobacco products in shops.
08:19The measure aims to reduce the visibility of addictive products, hoping to curb impulsive
08:23purchases.
08:25Under the new rules, supermarkets and stores larger than 400 meter squares are prohibited
08:30from selling cigarettes altogether.
08:33This initiative is overseen by Health Minister Frank Vandenbrouck.
08:40The campaign already began on January 1st, with a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
08:54Shop owners were left to find their own solutions to comply with the law.
08:58Some opted for makeshift plastic curtains, while others installed sophisticated shelves
09:02that light up when opened.
09:08Jenny van Varenberg, a present tobacco shop owner, expressed frustration over the lack
09:13of government support.
09:21Public reactions have been mixed.
09:36Smokers like Madak Shatani, a Brussels student, remain sceptical, arguing that hiding products
09:42won't break the cycle of addiction.
09:50The next phase of Belgium's anti-smoking strategy, a proposed ban on smoking in public
09:58terraces, is still awaiting legislative approval.
10:02While opinions differ, the government remains committed to its long-term goal of reducing
10:06tobacco consumption and fostering healthier lifestyles.
10:14The European Union is sticking to its plans to enforce new laws on social media platforms
10:19like X, TikTok and Facebook, despite pressure from the U.S.
10:23In an interview with Euronews, European Commission Executive Vice President Hanna Varkunen, who
10:28oversees security and technology, explains that these laws are vital to protecting democracy
10:34from disinformation and market abuses.
10:49The Digital Services Act, which addresses disinformation, and the Digital Markets Act,
10:54aimed at ensuring a fair digital economy, have come under significant scrutiny from
10:58Donald Trump's prominent advisor, Elon Musk.
11:19You can hear the full interview of the Europe conversation on Thursday.