Latest news with #Metsola
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Trump honours veterans and fallen soldiers in Memorial Day ceremony
A memorial was held in Arlington, Virginia on Memorial Day to honour fallen US troops and commemorate their sacrifice. The ceremony was attended by US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 people, many of them soldiers, have been laid to rest. Trump placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a sombre tradition for US presidents. The president paused after placing the wreath, then stepped back before being joined by Vance and Hegseth in a salute. The US president then delivered an address where he called US troops 'great, great warriors', and singled out several families and relatives of late soldiers to tell their stories. 'We just revere their incredible legacy," Trump said. 'We salute them in their eternal and everlasting glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America's destiny as we make our nation stronger, prouder, freer and greater than ever before.' 'Their valour," he said, 'gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of the earth. A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years.' He told the story of Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, killed along with three other Americans by a suicide bomber in 2019 in Syria, leaving behind her husband, 3-year-old son and 18-month-old son. The New York native was on her fifth deployment, embedded with a team where she served as a linguist, translator and cryptologic technician working alongside special forces in a mission targeted at hunting down Islamic State group militants. 'She was among the first women ever to do it, and she did it better than anyone,' Trump said, calling out Kent's family for applause at the ceremony. It didn't take long for the address to veer into politics as Trump took the opportunity to criticise his predecessor Joe Biden, adding that his term as president was one filled with errors and failures, which his administration is working on fixing. 'A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years. That was a hard four years we went through,' said the US president. 'People pouring through our borders unchecked. People doing things that are indescribable and not for today to discuss,' he added. Though the holiday is one that US presidents usually treat with pure solemnity, Trump began the day with a fiery all-caps social media post on his social media platform, Truth Social, aimed at Biden. 'SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY." Meanwhile, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also attended the ceremony. In a post on X, Metsola also paid her respects to fallen US soldiers, acknowledging their sacrifice for Europe and expressing her gratitude. 'On Memorial Day, we honour the courage of all the fallen heroes whose sacrifice meant peace and freedom in Europe,' said Metsola 'Europe is forever grateful. We remember them. We honour them.' A state of high alert has been issued in India's southern state of Kerala after a container ship carrying hazardous cargo sank in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 was sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it sank about 38 nautical miles (70 kilometres) off Kerala early on Sunday morning due to flooding in one of its compartments. All 24 crew members were rescued, India's defence ministry said. The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with an unspecified "hazardous cargo" and 12 containing calcium carbide. "As the oil slick can reach anywhere along the Kerala coast, an alert has been sounded across the coastal belt," the chief minister's office said in a statement. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks. Authorities fear that some of the harmful substances the ship was carrying may have leaked into the sea, posing a risk to local residents and marine life. The Kerala chief minister's office on Monday urged people to stay away from some of the containers that began washing ashore. It also advised fishermen not to venture too close to the sunken ship. The Indian Coast Guard said it had sent an aircraft with an oil spill detection system to survey the area. It also deployed a ship carrying pollution control equipment to the site of the accident.
Euronews
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Valencia flood survivors share experiences with EU officials
Three associations representing victims of the storm that caused hundreds of deaths in the province of Valencia last October travelled to Brussels, to meet representatives from European institutions. The victims of the so-called "Dana" had the opportunity to share their experiences and the challenges they are still facing in four different meetings, with the European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen, the vice-president Teresa Ribera, the European Parliament's President Roberta Metsola and a cross-party group of MEPs. The associations were "Asociación Víctimas Mortales Dana 29-0," "Associació de Víctimes de la Dana 29 d'Octubre de 2024" and Asociación Damnificados de la Dana Horta Sud Valencia." The former focuses exclusively on the people who died during the floods and the consequences for their families. "Our beloved have not died from an illness, or in an accident. They died because of incompetence, because no one knew how to do their job, and even worse, because [the people in charge] deny climate change," the association's president Rosa María Álvarez Gil told Euronews. The president and her vice-president Carmina Gil considered the meetings satisfactory and described von der Leyen and Metsola as "People with closeness, with empathy, and eager to listen." Metsola was the more committed one, Álvarez Gil explains, as she promised "a direct intervention" with the regional Valencia government and asked for a report of all the issues faced by the victims. Von der Leyen granted the associations' representatives a warm welcome and a long conversation, even beyond the schedule. "Von der Leyen is one of the promoters of the Green Deal and is very committed to tackling climate change. She told us she fully supports our claims and criticizes, without any specific reference, the governments that don't follow climate action policies." The President of the European Commission was in Valencia a few weeks ago when she joined the European People's Party Congress, and she was requested to meet the victims, but the meeting was postponed and moved to Brussels. Following the meeting, von der Leyen wrote on X that this guide EU's preparations for the future. The European Commission has granted Spain an advance of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to cover expenses resulting from the damages caused by October's storm. This money can be used to restore essential infrastructure such as energy, water, healthcare, education, or telecommunications systems, as well as for cultural heritage protection measures or clean-up operations. On top of this, Brussels is evaluating the documentation submitted by the Spanish government regarding other expenses eligible to be financed through the European Union Solidarity Fund, which Madrid estimates at over €4 billion. The evaluation is still ongoing and will set the final amount of aid granted from the EU to the Spanish government. Earlier on Tuesday, before the meetings with von der Leyen and Metsola, the three victims' associations were received by around 15 Members of the European Parliament, coming from the Socialist and democrats, the Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and the Left group. Victims representatives blame the right-wing regional government in Valencia for the deaths provoked by Dana and accuse it of ignoring their claims. "We, the families of the victims, are not provided any psychological support to help us overcome this trauma. We don't have therapists, and we don't have any compensation for the deceased, to help covering all the resources we so badly need," said Carmina Gil. She underlined that there was compensation for cars and furniture in the houses, and even a tourism voucher for the affected people, but nothing for the victims' families. In Gil's opinion, the Valencia government is "quite scientifically unwilling to believe in climate change." Furthermore, "it is backed by the far right [Vox party], which is completely opposed to any action on climate change, to the Green Deal, and to any climate policy."
Euronews
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Digital border system targets crime and irregular migration
Three associations representing victims of the storm that caused hundreds of deaths in the province of Valencia last October travelled to Brussels, to meet representatives from European institutions. The victims of the so-called 'Dana' had the opportunity to share their experiences and the challenges they are still facing in four different meetings, with the European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen, the vice-president Teresa Ribera, the European Parliament's President Roberta Metsola and a cross-party group of MEPs. The associations were 'Asociación Víctimas Mortales Dana 29-0', 'Associació de Víctimes de la Dana 29 d'Octubre de 2024' and 'Asociación Damnificados de la Dana Horta Sud Valencia'. The former focuses exclusively on the people who died during the floods and the consequences for their families. 'Our beloved have not died from an illness, or in an accident. They died because of incompetence, because no one knew how to do their job, and even worse, because [the people in charge] deny climate change', the association's president Rosa María Álvarez Gil told Euronews. The president and her vice-president Carmina Gil considered the meetings satisfactory and described von der Leyen and Metsola as 'People with closeness, with empathy, and eager to listen'. Metsola was the more committed one, Álvarez Gil explains, as she promised 'a direct intervention' with the regional Valencia's government and asked for a report with all the issues faced by the victims. Von der Leyen granted the associations' representatives a very warm welcome and a long conversation, even beyond the schedule. "Von der Leyen is one of the promoters of the Green Deal and is very committed to tackling climate change. She told us she fully supports our claims and criticizes, without any specific reference, the governments that don't follow climate action policies." The President of the European Commission was in Valencia a few weeks ago when she joined the European People's Party Congress, and she was requested to meet the victims, but the meeting was postponed and moved to Brussels. Following the meeting, von der Leyen wrote on X that this guide EU's preparations for the future". The European Commission has granted Spain an advance of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to cover expenses resulting from the damages caused by October's storm. This money can be used to restore essential infrastructure such as energy, water, healthcare, education, or telecommunications systems, as well as for cultural heritage protection measures or cleanup operations. On top of this, Brussels is evaluating the documentation submitted by the Spanish government regarding other expenses eligible to be financed through the European Union Solidarity Fund, which Madrid estimates at over €4 billion. The evaluation is still ongoing and will set the final amount of aid granted from the EU to the Spanish government. Earlier in the morning, before the meetings with von der Leyen and Metsola, the three victim associations were received by around fifteen Members of the European Parliament, coming from the Socialist and democrats, the Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and the Left group. But nobody from the European People's Party, whose Spanish branch, Partido Popular, holds the government in Valencia's region (Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons said to Spanish media that he is meeting the victims tomorrow). Victims representatives blame the right-wing Valencia's government for the deaths provoked by the Dana and accused it of ignoring their claims. 'We, the families of the victims, are not provided any psychological support to help us overcome this trauma. We don't have therapists, and we don't have any compensation for the deceased, to help covering all the resources we so badly need', said Carmina Gil. She underlined that there were compensations for cars and furniture in the houses, and even a tourism voucher for the affected people, but nothing for the mortal victim's families. In Álvarez Gil's opinion, the Valencian government is 'quite scientifically unwilling to believe in climate change'. And on top of that, 'it is backed by the far right [Vox party], which is completely opposed to any action on climate change, to the Green Deal, and to any climate policy." The new regulation will apply to third-country nationals travelling to EU countries for holidays or business, staying for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. One of the priorities is to better identify victims of crime, including human trafficking, and offenders, in particular those who pose a terrorist threat. Indeed, the decision to introduce this legislation came after the terrorist attacks in France in 2015 and Belgium in 2016. EU leaders also want to address the risks of overstaying visitors who become irregular migrants. Both issues are increasingly important in public debate and policy-making, but the road to implementation has been long. 'There were mainly issues to resolve at a technical level, because all EU member states involved had to submit a declaration of readiness. It seems to have taken some time to build the system,' explains Vincenzo Genovese, who reports for Euronews on migration and security policies. The system will record the person's name, the type of travel document and biometric data - fingerprints and facial images - but also all dates of entry and exit. "It is definitely a migration control tool, because we know that a large proportion, perhaps even the majority, of irregular migrants in the European Union arrive regularly and then overstay," says Vincenzo Genovese. Irregular entries also include asylum seekers, and the European Union Agency for Human Rights warns of the risks of rights restrictions for those seeking protection in another country. "I believe that the most important thing for an asylum seeker is to be safe. When people need protection there are procedures, and it is up to the member states to follow them and analyse each case, on a case-by-case basis," the rapporteur for the regulation in the European Parliament, Assita Kanko, told Euronews. The main worries about the Entry/Exit System are cyber security risks and system malfunctions, but Kanko is optimistic, saying that gradual implementation "will allow member states to phase in at their own tempo and contingency plans are also foreseen". France, the Netherlands and Germany are the three member states that have lagged the most, according to the Belgian parliamentarian from the European Conservatives and Reformists group. "We will negotiate with the Council and look at where there are still concerns and how we can address them. The most important is that we will give our law enforcement officers the opportunity to analyse data in real time to track down criminals," Kanko stressed. The data will be accessible for border control authorities, the police authorities of each country and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). All but two EU member states will use the scheme, exceptions being Cyprus and Ireland, who will continue to stamp passports manually. It also applies to four Schengen-associate countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The start date will be set by the European Commission, and negotiators have stressed that October is a viable date. From there, member states will be able to adopt a gradual implementation or apply the regulation fully from day one. Watch the video here! Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva Content production: Pilar Montero López Video production: Zacharia Vigneron Graphism: Loredana Dumitru Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones A woman said to be the daughter of a French cryptocurrency boss narrowly avoided being kidnapped in Paris on Tuesday morning. According to Le Parisien newspaper, the woman, who was out walking with her partner and their young child, was attacked at just after 8am on a street in Paris' 11th arrondissement. The French media said her partner managed to fend off the masked assailants who were trying to force the woman into a white van. A video of the attack, which was shared online, also showed passers-by helping the couple. One of them picked up a gun belonging to an assailant — which had fallen to the ground — and pointed it back at them, while another threw a red fire extinguisher in the direction of the masked men. After failing in their kidnapping attempt, the attackers then drove away. In recent months, across France and Europe a growing number cryptocurrency bosses and their families have been kidnapped or have escaped kidnapping attempts. In early May, the father of a cryptocurrency boss spent three days in captivity, after he was kidnapped while walking his dog in Paris' 14th arrondissement. His kidnappers demanded a multi-million euro ransom in exchange for his release, sending a video of his mutilated finger to his son, according to French broadcaster Franceinfo. Meanwhile, in January, David Balland, the 36-year-old co-founder of French crypto company Ledger, and his partner were kidnapped from their home in the small commune of Méreau, which is located in central-northern France. Ledger co-founder Eric Larchevêque sounded the alarm after he received a video of Balland's severed finger, accompanied by a cryptocurrency ransom demand. Cryptocurrency figures and their relatives have also reportedly faced recent kidnapping attempts in Spain and Belgium.
Euronews
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Valencia's floods victims met von der Leyen and Metsola in Brussels
Three associations representing victims of the storm that caused hundreds of deaths in the province of Valencia last October travelled to Brussels, to meet representatives from European institutions. The victims of the so-called 'Dana' had the opportunity to share their experiences and the challenges they are still facing in four different meetings, with the European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen, the vice-president Teresa Ribera, the European Parliament's President Roberta Metsola and a cross-party group of MEPs. The associations were 'Asociación Víctimas Mortales Dana 29-0', 'Associació de Víctimes de la Dana 29 d'Octubre de 2024' and 'Asociación Damnificados de la Dana Horta Sud Valencia'. The former focuses exclusively on the people who died during the floods and the consequences for their families. 'Our beloved have not died from an illness, or in an accident. They died because of incompetence, because no one knew how to do their job, and even worse, because [the people in charge] deny climate change', the association's president Rosa María Álvarez Gil told Euronews. The president and her vice-president Carmina Gil considered the meetings satisfactory and described von der Leyen and Metsola as 'People with closeness, with empathy, and eager to listen'. Metsola was the more committed one, Álvarez Gil explains, as she promised 'a direct intervention' with the regional Valencia's government and asked for a report with all the issues faced by the victims. Von der Leyen granted the associations' representatives a very warm welcome and a long conversation, even beyond the schedule. "Von der Leyen is one of the promoters of the Green Deal and is very committed to tackling climate change. She told us she fully supports our claims and criticizes, without any specific reference, the governments that don't follow climate action policies." The President of the European Commission was in Valencia a few weeks ago when she joined the European People's Party Congress, and she was requested to meet the victims, but the meeting was postponed and moved to Brussels. Following the meeting, von der Leyen wrote on X that this guide EU's preparations for the future". The European Commission has granted Spain an advance of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to cover expenses resulting from the damages caused by October's storm. This money can be used to restore essential infrastructure such as energy, water, healthcare, education, or telecommunications systems, as well as for cultural heritage protection measures or cleanup operations. On top of this, Brussels is evaluating the documentation submitted by the Spanish government regarding other expenses eligible to be financed through the European Union Solidarity Fund, which Madrid estimates at over €4 billion. The evaluation is still ongoing and will set the final amount of aid granted from the EU to the Spanish government. Earlier in the morning, before the meetings with von der Leyen and Metsola, the three victim associations were received by around fifteen Members of the European Parliament, coming from the Socialist and democrats, the Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and the Left group. But nobody from the European People's Party, whose Spanish branch, Partido Popular, holds the government in Valencia's region (Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons said to Spanish media that he is meeting the victims tomorrow). Victims representatives blame the right-wing Valencia's government for the deaths provoked by the Dana and accused it of ignoring their claims. 'We, the families of the victims, are not provided any psychological support to help us overcome this trauma. We don't have therapists, and we don't have any compensation for the deceased, to help covering all the resources we so badly need', said Carmina Gil. She underlined that there were compensations for cars and furniture in the houses, and even a tourism voucher for the affected people, but nothing for the mortal victim's families. In Álvarez Gil's opinion, the Valencian government is 'quite scientifically unwilling to believe in climate change'. And on top of that, 'it is backed by the far right [Vox party], which is completely opposed to any action on climate change, to the Green Deal, and to any climate policy."
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Brussels goofiest gifts: the weird world of EU Parliament gifts
ADVERTISEMENT A corruption scandal involving Chinese tech giant Huawei reignited discussions earlier this year around gifts and donations received by EU lawmakers. While MEPs often find themselves on the receiving end of such tokens of appreciation, the whole gifting affair remains a delicate matter in Brussels and Strasbourg According to the European Parliament's code of conduct, MEPs must steer clear of gifts worth more than €150. If a gift crosses that line, it lands in the hands of Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who then acts as judge, jury, and occasional reluctant gift recipient. All these treasures (and some definite oddities) are logged in a public register and tucked away safely behind a locked door in Brussels, accessible only when an MEP asks to visit the collection. We took a peek behind the door of this cabinet of curiosities and were left scratching our heads. A dagger from far beyond Indonesian dagger called 'Keris Luk 7 Pandawa' European Parliament Among the stranger entries: a traditional Indonesian dagger called 'Keris Luk 7 Pandawa' – and no, it's not part of the EU plan to boost defence investments in Europe. The dagger made quite a journey: gifted during a parliamentary mission to Indonesia, passed to the vice-chair of the development committee, who later handed it over to the chair in a committee meeting. The ceremonial blade now quietly sits in Brussels, just in case. A flag from farther beyond The EU flag from the space European Parliament The European Space Agency reached for the stars when it gifted Metsola an EU flag that had been to the International Space Station. That's right, among the pens and plaques no one really wants, there's a piece of space history. Eurovision wannabes In what might be the most optimistic pitch of all time, Italian singer Stefano Picchi sent Metsola a CD - yes, in 2023 - with 11 songs and even a chord booklet, in case the Maltese president felt like jamming. One track was a tribute to late President David Sassoli, which Picchi hoped could be performed at the Eurovision Song Contest that year. A slight snag: Picchi was never chosen to perform in Eurovision – despite being listed in the Parliament's archives as a 2022 Eurovision song contest participant. Among the songs, there was also one Picchi claimed to have written with Pope Francis by quoting from some of the pontiff's speeches, a type of divine telepathic coproduction Modern art A nude female figure from Cyprus European Parliament Representing the 'modern art' category: a reproduction of a nude female figure from Cyprus, gifted by Annita Demetriou, the President of the Cypriot parliament. ADVERTISEMENT It's modelled after an ancient idol housed in the Pierides Museum. Cultural, sure – but maybe not what you'd expect to unwrap at the office. Radio days are so back European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib recently caused a stir by showing off a 72-hour emergency kit featuring, among other things, a portable radio. Critics called her alarmist – until a blackout hit the Iberian Peninsula last week and everyone realised a little old-school tech isn't such a bad idea after all. Portable radios earlier made their way to Irish MEPs as gifts from Irish music rights organisations. So yes, vinyl might be trendy, but radios are still practical. ADVERTISEMENT Sports memorabilia Signed jersey from Spain's national women's football team European Parliament Roberta Metsola was also gifted a signed jersey from Spain's national women's football team – the year before they won the World Cup. Call it a lucky charm. She also received a signed Dinamo Kyiv shirt, and the European Parliament's own rugby team made the list with commemorative gear from their historic Parliamentary World Cup debut. Booze, books, and bric-a-brac Some things never go out of style. Alcohol is still a go-to gift, with MEPs receiving everything from Scotch whisky to Bordeaux wines and French champagne. When in doubt in life, as at the European Parliament, bring a bottle. Also scattered throughout the archives: traditional musical instruments like the viola braguesa from Portugal, a Moldovan kaval, and a Moroccan Arabic lyra. ADVERTISEMENT But for every gem, there's a handful of touristy trinkets: keychains, pins, mini-monuments, and enough paperweights to sink a filing cabinet. Basically, a Brussels-style flea market behind locked doors.
