Latest from Euronews
Euronews
37 minutes ago
- Business
- Euronews
Leak: EU Commission plans to merge agricultural and regional funds
A major shake-up in how the EU manages farming subsidies appears to be underway with the European Commission planning to unify delivery of its two largest budget items—cohesion funds and agricultural subsidies—under a single channel, according to a leaked draft of the EU's next long-term budget seen by Euronews. Crucially, the proposal would eliminate the CAP's 'second pillar', which currently funds rural development programmes. These programmes support agro-environmental initiatives, farm investments, and the development of rural communities. 'The new framework guarantees coherence by integrating the CAP interventions from the current two-funds structure under one single umbrella. Such alignment brings further flexibility and simplification,' the leaked document states. While farmers' associations—many of which protested against similar proposals last May—are likely to fiercely oppose the removal of the rural development pillar, the most transformative element may be the planned merger of CAP and cohesion policy. Rumours of such a move have circulated for months. The draft outlines a new mechanism tentatively called 'National and Regional Partnerships', which would be supported by a single fund. According to the Commission, this approach 'will help better exploit synergies between the policies covered by the scope of this initiative and hence support their delivery.' 'By bringing cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy under a single programming approach, Member States will have a wider toolbox to address the challenges faced by farmers and communities in rural areas,' the draft notes. This expanded toolbox would include infrastructure development, access to digital, water, and energy services, as well as support for skills development and generational renewal. However, the proposal could face strong resistance. CAP and cohesion policy serve fundamentally different roles: the former provides direct subsidies to farmers, while the latter focuses on reducing regional disparities through investment. Many in the agricultural sector, including several EU agriculture ministers and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, have expressed a desire to maintain the CAP's current two-pillar structure and standalone budget. This is a developing story.
Euronews
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Euronews
France to invest billions in defence of Europe's freedom, Macron says
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan on Sunday for an additional €6.5 billion in military spending over the next two years, citing what he described as "a greater threat" to freedom in Europe than at any point since World War II. The French leader set out these plans in a speech in which he called for intensified efforts to protect Europe and to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion. 'Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously,' Macron said in the French president's traditional speech to the military on the eve of Bastille Day. 'To be free in this world, we must be feared. To be feared, we must be powerful,' he said. France plans to allocate €64 billion for defence in 2027, according to the plan outlined by Macron. This figure is double the €32 billion the country was spending on defence when he became president in 2017. He insisted France can afford higher military spending even as it seeks to reduce its national debt. While conservatives and far-right parties broadly support his push for greater defence investment, left-wing parties have accused the government of prioritising military spending over social welfare. Macron warned that Europe faces mounting dangers from Russia's war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and foreign-led disinformation campaigns, including propaganda targeting children. He also instructed France's military and defence leadership to launch a 'strategic dialogue' with European partners about the potential role of France's nuclear arsenal in Europe's security architecture. In a rare step, France and the UK recently agreed to deepen cooperation on nuclear defence. Macron's speech came as US President Donald Trump is expected to make an announcement about Russia on Monday and as the head of NATO travels to Washington for two days of talks.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Beloved and polemic French TV presenter Thierry Ardisson dies aged 76
Thierry Ardisson, a leading French television presenter and producer, has died aged 76. Ardisson died on Monday 14 July of liver cancer, his family told AFP. "Thierry left as he lived. As a courageous and free man. With his children and mine, we were united around him. Until his last breath," wrote his wife, TF1 journalist Audrey Crespo-Mara. Known for his humorous and often controversal interviews, Ardisson had one of the longest and most colourful careers in French television, shaking up the TV landscape with formats he adored – namely ones that challenged the guests and took them out of their comfort zones. "When I got into TV, I quickly realised that there were subjects that weren't being talked about, a language that wasn't being used," he told GQ in November 2015. 'There was a boulevard to revolutionise everything." Always dressed in black, he courted controversy with crude remarks and often polemical interviewing styles that led some of his detractors to label him 'trashy'. He created shows like Descente de police, Lunettes noires pour nuits blanches, Rive Droite / Rive Gauche and Paris Dernière. He made his biggest mark on the public service in 1998 with Tout le monde en parle, a cult Saturday night show on France 2. His celebrity interviews quickly became the talk of the town, with one of his most infamous moments being with Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of François Mitterrand, when he asked him if sucking was cheating. His last show, Hôtel du Temps, for France Télévisions, had a rather unique selling point: he would interview dead celebrities. Aided by artificial intelligence, he brought back to life legendary French actor Jean Gabin, celebrated comedian Coluche and singer Dalida – 35 years after her death. The concept was both admired and criticised, with some praising its inventiveness while others saw it as disrespectful. The show ultimately failed to secure an audience and was cancelled in 2023 – only one year after its start date. Ardisson was married three times, was the father of three children and a grandfather since 2019. French president Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Légion d'honneur - one of France's most prestigious orders of merit, both military and civil - in 2024. Through an Elysée statement, President Macron paid tribute to the memory of Ardisson, calling him the man who 'helped write the history of French television.'
Euronews
an hour ago
- Health
- Euronews
Parents urged to vaccinate kids after child dies of measles in the UK
Health authorities are encouraging parents to vaccinate their children after a child reportedly died of measles in the United Kingdom. Officials from Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where the child was reportedly receiving care, said measles cases have been rising in the area due to declining immunisation rates. Measles is one of the world's contagious diseases, and it can easily take hold in communities with more unvaccinated people. 'Please protect yourself and vulnerable children and young people by ensuring you are fully vaccinated,' a hospital statement read. The child's death was first reported by The Sunday Times, and their age and gender are not yet known. But the news comes amid a surge in measles cases in both the UK and mainland Europe in recent years. England has reported more than 500 cases this year, mostly in children aged 10 or younger. The country last recorded a measles death in 2024, among a young person with other medical conditions. There were more than 2,900 measles cases last year, including about 1,700 among children aged 10 or younger. Meanwhile, last year was the worst year for measles in Europe and Central Asia in nearly three decades. So far this year , about 6,200 measles cases have been reported in the European Union. Most measles cases are mild or moderately severe, causing a rash, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and sore eyes. But it can also cause serious complications, such as blindness and brain swelling, and can be fatal in some cases. Babies who are too young to be vaccinated, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness from measles. 'Measles is very contagious and if the virus is circulating in the community because of low vaccination rates, sooner or later it will find its way to kids who are already unwell, where the infection can be catastrophic,' Ian Jones, a virology professor at the University of Reading, said in a statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared measles eliminated in the UK in 2017, but it lost that status two years later as the virus resurged across Europe. About 95 per cent of a community must be immunised against measles to prevent outbreaks among unvaccinated people, but in 2022 only 85.2 per cent of UK residents were fully vaccinated. Health authorities blame pandemic-era disruptions to health care, as well as rising vaccine hesitancy, for the low vaccination rates. In some ways, the measles vaccine, which was first introduced in the 1960s, may be a victim of its own success. Two doses are about 99 per cent effective at preventing illness. 'Once it became rare after universal vaccination was implemented, many people forgot about measles,' Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, said in a statement. The recent death 'may be the only way that everybody is reminded that it is important to prevent this entirely preventable infection'.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
French police catch fugitive who escaped from jail in cellmate's bag
A 20-year-old inmate who escaped from a detention facility near Lyon by hiding inside a fellow detainee's luggage has been arrested three days after his prison break, French authorities confirmed on Monday. The man, identified as Elyazid A, originally from Mayotte, was apprehended around 6 am Monday in a basement in Sathonay-Camp, a small town north of Lyon, according to the Lyon public prosecutor's office. He had been on the run since last Friday, when he evaded guards at Lyon-Corbas prison. No shots were fired and no one was injured during the arrest, which was carried out by officers from the Central Office for the Fight Against Organised Crime (OCLCO) and the specialised anti-crime unit DCOS 69, domestic media reported. Elyazid A had been held in pre-trial detention for charges of murder committed as part of an organised gang and for firearms offences. According to information obtained by French media outlet Franceinfo, he concealed himself in a large bag belonging to his cellmate, who was being released that day. The accomplice used a borrowed luggage trolley to transport his belongings to a waiting car. It was only the following morning that prison staff realised Elyazid A was missing. Authorities have described the escape as highly unusual, noting that it required no external accomplices, explosives or helicopters — just a bag on four wheels. A red notice was issued by Interpol in the hours following the escape, alerting police worldwide to locate and detain the fugitive. The second man, believed to be the one who carried the bag, remains at large and is actively sought for suspected complicity in the escape. As reported by domestic media, the Lyon prosecutor has launched a formal investigation into 'escape in an organised gang' and 'criminal association'. The case is being handled by the Rhône division for organised and specialised crime. France's prison service has also opened an internal investigation into the security lapse. In a statement, the service said it would 'take all appropriate disciplinary measures.' Lyon-Corbas prison, where the escape took place, has long struggled with overcrowding. As of 1 June, it held 1,222 inmates in facilities built for just 678.
