00:01European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU's widespread support for Armenia during her visit to Yerevan on
00:08Thursday.
00:10In a strategic tour of the South Caucasus, she unveiled a series of rare economic measures to help the country
00:16withstand growing Russian pressure, stemming from its cautious pro-West pivot.
00:20I know Armenia is still facing significant economic pressure from Russia. Nothing short of economic coercion, actually.
00:30But rest assured, when pressure mounts on our partners, the European Union steps up.
00:38And I have some announcements here, too.
00:42First, you will soon receive an additional 18 million euros to help strengthen and diversify the country.
00:51The measures would allow Armenia to redirect nearly 80 percent of Armenian exports to the EU, making them tariff-free.
00:58What do you think we are going to do? We are not going to talk about it, but we don't
01:18have to talk about it,
01:19and we don't have to talk about it, but we don't have to talk about it, but we don't have
01:26to talk about it,
01:26but we don't have to talk about it, but we don't have to talk about it, but we don't have
01:33to talk about it.
01:36Pashinyan announced during the visit that Armenia aims to obtain visa liberalization with the EU by 2029,
01:43depending on the country's pace of reforms.
01:49EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaya Kalas announced that new sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial complex
01:56will be presented on Thursday, after Russian forces launched massive overnight strikes on Kiev,
02:03killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens.
02:07Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia's military-industrial complex
02:12in response to the strikes, Kalas wrote on X.
02:15The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.
02:19We keep raising the cost until Russia understands it cannot win.
02:23The new listings will not be included in the 21st sanctions package,
02:28which is currently under discussion among European governments
02:31and is expected to be adopted by mid-July, in order to avoid automatic renewal clauses.
02:37The proposed sanctions target five entities and one individual involved in developing and producing components
02:44that enhance the capabilities of Russian drones, your news can confirm.
02:49The listings were shared with EU ambassadors on Thursday.
02:52The next discussion is expected next week.
03:00After six weeks of training in Lithuania, the German army's Freedom Shield exercise has come to an end.
03:06But before the soldiers head home, Lithuanian student Camila gets to enjoy one final highlight.
03:13A ride in a tank across the training ground.
03:16Camila is here after winning a Lithuanian Ministry of Defence SA competition on NATO and hybrid threats.
03:40Camila climbs inside the Puma tank, but our camera has to stay outside.
03:45The vehicle's interior contains sensitive details that could be of interest to potential adversaries of the German armed forces.
03:52Back outside, she shares her impressions of the Puma.
03:56Honestly, I thought there would be more space in the Puma tank.
04:00It's very narrow, there are also many small devices,
04:06such as the buttons and the buttons, such as a PlayStation console.
04:12It's very exciting.
04:16This year marked the 8th edition of the SA competition, with a record 400 entries.
04:21Security in the Baltic States is clearly on the students' minds,
04:25and even if you don't win the prize, you can still book a tank ride in Lithuania yourself.
04:39The entry-exit system, the digital system for checking non-EU travellers' documents,
04:44is creating bottlenecks just as the peak of the holiday season approaches.
04:50Associations representing airlines and airports asked to suspend the EES in July and August when needed.
04:56The European Commission said it would be meeting representatives of the industry in the coming days.
05:01All efforts are being made to limit the impact on travellers from outside the EU.
05:07In most EU airports, this impact is indeed limited,
05:11and where member states are not able to ensure that the necessary operational capacity is in place,
05:17that means include sufficient numbers of border guards, appropriate infrastructure and automated border control solutions,
05:24the Commission continues to support them, and as well the aviation industry, in the implementation of the new system.
05:31The EES, which became fully operational in April, is now in force at land, sea and air external borders of
05:38all 29 countries in the free travel Schengen area.
05:42It is gradually replacing passport stamps with a digital system for short stays, meaning a period of up to 90
05:50days within any 180 days.
05:52Travellers' biometric information, such as facial images and fingerprints, along with personal data from travel documents, are now collected.
06:01This system is meant to make border checks faster and to obstruct irregular migration.
06:06The reform resulted in airports and airlines experiencing operational disruption with flight delays and misconnections.
06:18Fresh employment figures released on Thursday expose a diverging trajectory for the world's most preeminent advanced economies,
06:26as severe hiring slowdowns in the US contrast with historic resilience in European labour markets.
06:33According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-farm payrolls increased by a mere 57,000 in June.
06:40This figure drastically missed market expectations, which had anticipated an addition of 113,000 jobs,
06:49and it marks a steep decline from the 107,000 positions created in the previous month.
06:56Despite the sharp cooling in overall job creation, the US unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked down to 4.2%,
07:04representing a slight improvement from the 4.3% recorded in May.
07:09Across the Atlantic, the European employment landscape continues to demonstrate remarkable steadfastness.
07:16According to data published by Eurostat, the Eurozone unemployment rate remained stable at 6.2% in May,
07:24holding firm at a record low for the currency block.
07:27This figure perfectly aligns with market projections and underscores the enduring tightness of the European job market,
07:34even as broader economic uncertainties linger across the continent.
07:46From the 24th to the 29th of June, Porto's History Center has been transformed into a city of books.
07:53The Babel Festival promised to be one of Europe's largest literary events,
07:58bringing to Portugal some of the most influential figures in contemporary national and international literature.
08:04The festival program featured two Nobel Prize in Literature laureates,
08:09Olga Tokarczuk and Laszlo Krasnaorcai,
08:11as well as other authors who have been honoured with the prestigious Booker Prize,
08:16such as Margaret Atrod, Salman Rushdie and Julian Barnes.
08:20Admission was granted through the purchase of books at a network of approximately 50 participating bookstores and used bookshops.
08:27According to the organisers, this unique access model aimed to bring thousands of people to the city's bookstores
08:33and promote books and reading.
08:35It was also mandatory to carry a book in hand to gain access to any session.
08:40In addition to literary discussions, the program included exhibitions, film screenings,
08:45history classes, children's sessions, poetry readings in the streets and concerts.
08:50One of the most anticipated musical events took place on Avenida dos Aliados on the 25th,
08:55featuring a performance by Pedro Abrunio Sainz-GNR,
08:59who also presented new songs inspired by poetry from northern Portugal.
09:03The following day, Barbara Bandeira and Carminhos took the stage.
09:07The literary event took place in public spaces,
09:10reinforcing the connection between literature and the city.
09:23Pope superstar Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kells are expected to marry on Friday evening
09:29at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden, concluding months of intense media speculation.
09:34The highly anticipated private ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time,
09:39with municipal records showing that the city approved a special event permit
09:43for a gathering of up to 999 people that could stretch until 4 a.m. the following morning.
09:50While the famous Manhattan Arena lacks traditional brighter aesthetics,
09:54organizers have taken extensive measures to transform the venue,
09:57utilizing its lack of windows, guarded entrances,
10:00and secure underground garages to establish total privacy.
10:04Security remains a paramount concern for the New York City Police Department
10:08as a dedicated detail will be stationed at the fortified venue
10:11to manage the massive, high-profile crowd.
10:13Ahead of the private vows, the couple jointly donated $26 million
10:17to 20 local and national charities across the United States,
10:21targeting cities where they hold deep personal and professional ties.
10:25The massive celebration directly coincides with a heavily congested holiday weekend in the city,
10:30which already features extensive independence celebrations,
10:34a major regional heatwave and an upcoming World Cup football match.
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