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00:00At recent peace talks with Russia, Ukraine's delegation stressed their top priority was a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, as well as a real ceasefire.
00:11More than 100 non-governmental organizations have sounded the alarm about mass starvation in Gaza.
00:21European Union leaders have met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials at a one-day summit in Beijing.
00:29They discuss climate cooperation and global conflicts, but most importantly, the massive trade deficit with China.
00:37Xi called on China and Europe to deepen cooperation and mutual trust to provide stability.
00:44But Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that cooperation needs to be mutual beneficial and urged for a more balanced relationship with Beijing.
00:52Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa called on China to use its influence over Russia to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
01:03Von der Leyen and Costa were also expected to raise concerns over Chinese cyberattacks and espionage,
01:09its restrictions on the exports of rare earth minerals and human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
01:16The talks were initially scheduled for two days.
01:20However, they were scaled back amid economic uncertainty, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the threat of U.S. tariffs.
01:28Europe is also treading carefully, avoiding to move too closely at China in order not to antagonize U.S. President Donald Trump,
01:35which further complicated the summit.
01:37The launch of a new competitiveness alliance was the key outcome of the EU-Japan summit held in Tokyo on Wednesday.
01:49Japan marked the first stop on a week-long Asia tour for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
01:55and European Council President Antonio Costa.
01:59Together with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba,
02:01EU leaders discussed strengthening ties focusing on security,
02:06but also economic cooperation in a bid to reduce reliance on China for critical materials.
02:11Japan is the European Union's closest partner in the Pacific.
02:17Our partnership with Japan is not just strategic.
02:23It is based on shared principles and common vision.
02:27During their visit, von der Leyen and Costa took part in several high-level events to deepen new Japan relations,
02:34including a visit to Expo 2025 in Osaka,
02:37joined by EU High Representative Kayakallas.
02:41President von der Leyen was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Keio University in Tokyo.
02:48However, the summit's headlines were overshadowed by the news of a separated deal between the U.S. and Japan,
02:53with Washington agreeing to reduce tariffs on Japanese imports from 25% down to 15%.
03:00Dear Shigeru, first and foremost, I want to say congratulations.
03:06Congratulations on your successful negotiations on a tariff deal with the United States.
03:13This summit between the European Union and Japan comes at the right time.
03:18The world is changing rapidly.
03:23For strategic partners like us, it means being even more closer to face the realities of our times.
03:31The EU delegation now bids Sayonara to friendly Japan,
03:35heading next to Beijing for an EU-China summit, expected to be considerably more complex.
03:41At their third round of recent peace talks with Russia,
03:50Ukraine's delegation stressed their top priority was a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents,
03:57as well as a real ceasefire.
04:01Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy has insisted that lower-level delegations,
04:07like the ones at the talks in Istanbul, don't have the political heft to stop the fighting.
04:14Ukraine keeps insisting on a full and unconditional ceasefire as a necessary basis for effective diplomacy.
04:22We are ready for a ceasefire now and to start substantive peace negotiations.
04:28And it is up to other side to accept this basic step towards peace.
04:32Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously spurned Zelenskyy's offers of a face-to-face meeting.
04:40Two previous rounds of peace talks in May and June led to a series of exchanges of prisoners of war
04:46and the bodies of fallen soldiers, but produced no other agreements.
04:51Ursula von der Leyen has called Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express concerns and demand explanations
05:02over a new law that weakens the independence of two of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies.
05:08Under the legislation, the agencies are brought under the direct oversight of the prosecutor general,
05:13who is a political appointee.
05:15Following public outcry, the prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko,
05:20promised not to interfere with the agency's independence in his first public comments on the matter.
05:25We have agreed to work with the constructively together,
05:32each of them in their direction of the activity.
05:37And nobody will be willing to work with the police,
05:41because every number of criminal conduct and work has no place to be done.
05:50The direct intervention of the European Commission President represents a new escalation
05:54in the unexpected clash between Brussels and Kyiv.
05:58It's the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion
06:01that the executive has voiced such explicit criticism against Zelenskyy's government.
06:06As protests continue in Ukraine, Zelenskyy subsequently said he will propose a draft law
06:11that would ensure the strength of Ukraine's law enforcement system.
06:16German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on Wednesday.
06:21European defence projects including the F-CAS fighter jets and MGCS tanks
06:27were one of the most important topics for both the leaders
06:30who met at a villa for dinner on the outskirts of Berlin.
06:33The projects are currently at risk as cooperating companies are technically rivals,
06:38which isn't helped by Macron stepping down in 2027,
06:41meaning the leaders, often referred to as Europe's power couple,
06:45only have a year together before France enters the hot phase of the election campaign
06:49and Macron will be viewed as largely irrelevant.
06:53Also top of the agenda for the talks was tariff negotiations between the EU and the US
06:57as the deadline for 30% blanket tariffs on European goods is rapidly approaching.
07:03A deal is thought to be imminent.
07:06With Europe standing on the crossroads, not only in terms of defence,
07:10but also energy, trade and EU policies,
07:14the leaders have a lot to discuss whilst time is still on their side.
07:18And Liv Stroud, in Berlin, for EuroDays.
07:25More than 100 non-governmental organisations have sounded the alarm
07:30about mass starvation in Gaza in a joint statement.
07:34Prominent NGOs like Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and Oxfam
07:39warned that they witnessed their own colleagues and partners, quote,
07:42waste before their eyes.
07:45They are once again calling for an immediate ceasefire,
07:49the opening of all crossings and the free flow of humanitarian aid.
07:54This statement comes exactly two months since the launch of the controversial
07:58US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
08:01The UN Human Rights Office said that since May,
08:05more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to access food and aid in Gaza
08:09have been killed by Israeli forces, mostly near aid sites run by the GHF.
08:16Later this week, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Europe
08:20to discuss a range of issues, including Gaza and the push for a ceasefire.
08:25Witkoff will also travel to the Middle East,
08:28where he is hopeful to come forward with a ceasefire agreement
08:30and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.
08:38Thailand is closing more border crossings with Cambodia,
08:41as well as withdrawing its ambassador and expelling Cambodia's diplomat.
08:46It follows an incident in which a Thai soldier lost a leg in a landmine explosion
08:50in a border area which has several small pockets claimed by both countries.
08:54Thai authorities claim that the mines were newly laid along paths
08:58that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe.
09:02The decision reflects deteriorating relations between the two countries,
09:06following an armed confrontation in May,
09:08in which one Cambodian soldier was killed
09:10in one of several small contested patches of land.
09:13EU Home Affairs Minister's meeting in Copenhagen on Tuesday
09:22have broadly endorsed the two recent controversial proposals
09:26by the European Commission designed to curb irregular migration into the bloc.
09:32By changing the EU definition of safe third countries,
09:36member states would be allowed to dismiss asylum applications
09:40without consideration and transfer applicants overseas,
09:44even if the migrant has no connection to the place in question.
09:48This could result in partnership with the non-EU countries
09:52similar to the UK's Rwanda deportation policy
09:55that was ruled unlawful by the UK's Supreme Court.
10:00Previously considered taboo,
10:03many countries have now come around to the idea,
10:06according to the Danish Minister for Immigration.
10:09Well, I think we need to make sure that processing of asylum claim
10:13is not necessarily done within the European Union.
10:17I think that's the best way to break the business model of human smugglers.
10:21The other innovative idea would enable member states
10:25to transfer rejected asylum seekers to return hubs outside the EU,
10:30while completing the paperwork to get them returned to their countries of origin.
10:35The Commission's proposal lays the necessary legal groundwork
10:40to allow governments to strike arrangements with countries outside the bloc
10:45that might be willing to host migrants in return for financial incentives.
10:51Two centres built in Albania by the Italian government,
10:54initially meant to host asylum seekers and now converted into return centres,
10:59could serve as a model.
11:02Other countries could follow suit with similar schemes.
11:05Migration is a priority for Denmark, which is currently chairing the EU.
11:21Many other countries seem to be on board with the proposals.
11:25France, Germany, Austria, Poland and Czech Republic
11:28recently signed a common declaration to beef up migrant returns,
11:33strengthen external borders and build partnerships with third countries.
