About this Episode
Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters west of Cyprus. Activists said commandos boarded several boats carrying aid for Gaza and pro-Palestinian campaigners. Israel said the operation aimed to stop attempts to breach the Gaza blockade.
Nearly 93 million people in the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion last year, according to the European Statistics Agency Eurostat. Bulgaria, Greece and Romania recorded the highest national rates, while Czechia, Poland and Slovenia had the lowest. Recent Eurostat data placed Luxembourg close to the European Union average, with 1 in 5 residents at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Hungary’s new government says it’s open to technical talks with Ukraine on EU membership. Officials say Budapest is now willing to engage with Kyiv on the process, after years of vetoes under the previous leadership.
The main issue remains the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Hungary says progress on legal guarantees for language, education and cultural rights is needed before it supports opening accession negotiations.
German police have shot dead an escaped tiger after it attacked its handler at a private facility near Leipzig. Authorities said a 72-year-old man was seriously injured inside the enclosure. The animal then escaped and was located shortly after. Animal rights group PETA has called for stricter rules on privately kept wild animals. It urged authorities to improve safeguards to protect animal welfare and prevent similar incidents.
