Latest news bulletin | April 1st – 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/2025/04/01/latest-news-bulletin-april-1st-morning
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00Europe resists and reacts to efforts by the U.S. government to eliminate diversity, equity
00:05and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives in the continent.
00:10A national strike paralyzed Belgium's public transport, its air traffic and other public
00:17services.
00:21Consumer associations warned that European air passengers could face further difficulties
00:25in obtaining compensation for delays in the future.
00:30The death toll from Myanmar's earthquake rises to over 1,700, while more than 300 are still
00:37missing.
00:40Efforts by the U.S. government to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives
00:45in Europe have not gone down well in the continent.
00:48The European Commission acknowledged awareness of a letter sent by the U.S. administration
00:52urging companies to drop DEI programs.
00:55We are aware of the letter that was sent by the U.S. administration to the companies.
01:02We need to know a bit more details before we react.
01:08And as you know and as you have pointed out, anti-discrimination and equality is based
01:18on our main values.
01:20In France, resistance has been particularly strong after reports emerged that the U.S.
01:24State Department demanded that French companies abandon inclusion policies, which are part
01:28of national as well as EU law.
01:31Le Figaro published what it claimed was a copy of the letter, stating that an executive
01:35order signed by President Donald Trump in January applies globally to all suppliers
01:39of the U.S. government.
01:41French Foreign Trade Minister Laurence Saint-Martin told RTL Radio that France would not compromise
01:46on these principles.
01:48Belgium also pushed back against perceived U.S. interference.
01:51French Prime Minister Jean Jambon declared we have no lessons to learn from the leader
01:55of America.
01:56In a joint statement, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévost and Equal Opportunities Minister
02:00Rob Beinders condemned the move as a step backward, asserting that diversity and inclusion
02:05strengthen economies and societies.
02:08In Spain, Barcelona's mayor announced his municipal government will defy Trump's rollback
02:12of DEI initiatives, which had impacted cultural programs hosted by the city.
02:18Across Europe, leaders have stressed that diversity and inclusion are non-negotiable,
02:22a reflection of deeply held values rather than mere buzzwords.
02:31Belgium's public services and transport were heavily disrupted and the country's two largest
02:36airports came to a standstill as a result of a nationwide strike.
02:40The Christian and Socialist trade unions organized a strike in protest against budget cuts announced
02:46by the government.
02:47These would impact pensions, unemployment benefits, public services and the labour market.
03:01Brussels airport cancelled over 200 outbound flights and most incoming flights, while there
03:06was no in and outbound traffic at Charleroi Airport altogether.
03:11Meanwhile, public transport across Flanders and Wallonia has been severely disrupted.
03:16Several schools are closed and certain public services are also at a standstill.
03:21I understand it, but on the other hand, there are many people who have to go to work, who
03:26have to study.
03:27So it's difficult for them, but I also understand what they want, but I don't know if they will
03:31get it.
03:32The government doesn't care, because the strikers hit us instead of who should be hit.
03:40Many Belgians feel let down by their government and strikes are becoming increasingly more
03:45common across the country.
03:47Another nationwide strike also took place in February.
03:50Tens of thousands of people had swept the streets of Brussels to protest.
04:05European air passengers could face new difficulties in obtaining compensation for flight delays.
04:11The European Union is currently revising regulations dating back to 2004.
04:16At present, compensation is available for delays of three hours or more.
04:21However, current negotiations could result in new rules that civil society believes will
04:26be unfavourable to consumers.
04:29Now what's happening is that the Commission has proposed to modify this time to be able
04:34to benefit from compensation.
04:35We would no longer be at three hours, but we would be at 5, 9, 12 depending on the distance.
04:40Concretely, what impact will it have?
04:42There are 85% of consumers, if what is currently discussed is validated, who would no longer
04:46have the right to compensation.
04:47So it's a huge step back from the 2004 legislation.
04:52Like civil society, the European airline industry is also hoping for a revision.
05:02But the association representing the industry, Airlines for Europe, believes that the European
05:07Commission's 2013 proposal, which is on the table, is a good basis.
05:13Poland, which holds the EU's six-month presidency, has taken over the dossier and wants to make
05:19the best possible progress in negotiations between now and June.
05:35Five people were killed and four injured after an explosion rocked a coal mining site in
05:41northern Spain on Monday.
05:43Two of the injured people were transferred to a hospital in a city nearby to be treated
05:48for burns.
05:49Another was taken to another neighboring hospital with a head injury.
05:53Local emergency services confirmed two other people were uninjured in the accident.
05:58Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, offered his condolences to the relatives of the deceased
06:04and thanked emergency workers.
06:11Russian strikes hit Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Sunday and early Monday,
06:15causing six explosions and injuring three people.
06:18Ukrainian authorities reported that drone attacks damaged residential buildings, cars
06:22and a civilian business, sparking fires in production and warehouse facilities spanning
06:27over 3,900 square meters.
06:30Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 131 drones overnight, according to Kyiv.
06:35In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks,
06:39urging the U.S. and its allies to increase pressure on Russia.
06:42Putin couldn't care less about diplomacy, he said, highlighting the daily brutality of
06:46Russian strikes.
07:00The attacks left at least 13 buildings damaged, including a children's center with shattered
07:04windows and burned facades.
07:06Emergency services worked through the night to contain fires and assist residents.
07:13European aerospace startup ISAR Aerospace conducted the first test flight of its Spectrum
07:18rocket on Sunday, marking a milestone as the first attempt to launch a satellite rocket
07:23from European soil.
07:24The 28-meter-long two-stage rocket took off from Andoya Island in Norway but crashed shortly
07:29after launch, exploding upon impact.
07:31Despite the crash, CEO Daniel Metzler called the test a success, citing a clean takeoff,
07:3630 seconds of flight, and validation of the flight termination system.
07:40ISAR Aerospace, based in Munich, aims to gather critical data from the test to advance its
07:44goal of launching small and medium-sized satellites into orbit.
08:02Authorities told local media that another 3,400 have been injured and more than 300
08:09missing.
08:10According to a Chinese embassy social media post, in the early hours of Monday, four people
08:15were rescued from the rubble by Chinese teams.
08:18The epicenter of Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck near Mandalay, caused many of
08:25the city's buildings to collapse and damaged its airport.
08:30Then, on Sunday, a 5.1-magnitude aftershock hit the area again.
08:35Rescue efforts have been hindered by downed bridges, damaged roads, unreliable communications
08:41and a civil war.
08:43However, on Saturday, Myanmar's resistance movement announced a partial ceasefire to
08:49facilitate rescue efforts.
08:51According to local media, many people have been left sleeping on the streets, either
08:56out of fear or aftershock, or because their homes were brought down.
09:00In neighboring Thailand, at least 18 people have been confirmed dead since Friday's quake.
09:06On Monday morning, searches at a high-rise building in Bangkok, which collapsed, were
09:11still ongoing as dozens of people are missing, according to authorities.
09:15The bodies of 15 medical and humanitarian workers have been recovered from a mass grave
09:27in southern Gaza after a week-long search.
09:30The victims include eight members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, six from the Palestinian
09:37Civil Defense and one from the United Nations.
09:40A top UN spokesperson said health workers should never be a target.
09:45According to the UN, the first team was killed by Israeli forces on March 23.
09:51Emergency crews sent to search for the missing workers were then hit over several hours.
09:57Their remains, buried alongside direct emergency vehicles, were discovered by their colleagues
10:03in the southern city of Rafah.
10:06Israeli authorities, which coordinated access for the search party, identified the area
10:12where the bodies had been buried.
10:14Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its air and ground war against the Hamas militant
10:19group earlier this month.
10:21On Monday, the Israeli military ordered an evacuation, covering most of Rafah.
10:27Muslims around the world are bidding farewell to the holy month of Ramadan and preparing
10:34to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a time of prayer, family gatherings and festivities.
10:39Thousands of Palestinians gather on Sunday at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, compound in Jerusalem's
10:44old city, for Eid al-Fitr prayers.
10:46In Serbia, the Islamic community held its central Eid ceremony in the Arab Mosque in
10:51Novi Bazar, marking the occasion with communal prayers.
10:56In Lisbon, Portugal, Muslims gather in outdoor prayer spaces.
10:59Families don new clothes and visited loved ones, blending tradition with modern festivities.
11:08Meanwhile, in Mecca, millions of pilgrims and locals join in mass prayers at the Grand
11:13Mosque, underscoring the spiritual heart of the celebration.
11:16While many communities rejoice, others face challenges.
11:20In Gaza, Palestinians mark the holiday amid ongoing conflict with dwindling supplies and
11:25recent airstrikes casting a shadow over what is usually a joyous occasion.
11:30The timing of Eid depends on the lunar cycle with moon sighting teams scanning the skies
11:34for the crescent moon that signals the start of the holiday.