Category: General

From the beginning, the EPP Group has opposed the planned ban on cars with combustion engines and criticises the German Government for “creating chaos” without results.

“So far, Volker Wissing has achieved nothing. Non-binding declarations are not a sensible solution. If Wissing really wants to save the combustion engine, we have to renegotiate the law again. The way to do this is clearly defined: Wissing needs a majority in the Council for his proposals and then there will be a second reading in the Parliament”, said Jens Gieseke MEP, EPP Group lead Negotiator on the planned Regulation.

“What Minister Wissing is now proposing is just as non-binding as the recital from last year. In the end, there may be some special regulations for special vehicles outside the fleet limits. The German Government cannot be serious about this. It would be a real embarrassment for Volker Wissing. The Minister has been creating chaos for three weeks now and has not made an inch of progress. From the beginning, Wissing seems to have been concerned only with a show for the public. All this has little to do with serious politics”, Gieseke stressed.

Source: EMM

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides stressed the role that leaders of European institutions and member states he met in Brussels can play in promoting his proposal for an enhanced involvement of the EU, initially in the efforts to restart negotiations and – during a later stage – the linking of any progress in the Cyprus Problem with EU – Turkish relations, speaking during a press conference following the conclusion of his participation in the summit of the European Council in Brussels.

Christodoulides referred to his meetings with the Presidents of the three EU institutions, his conversation with the UN Secretary General and to his participation at the EPP summit, and added that early on Friday he briefed the heads of states of the Member States during the summit, as well as to specific heads of state bilaterally, who he said believes ‘can play an important role in promoting this proposal.”

On Thursday, Christodoulides met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and on Friday had conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. During the press conference, Christodoulides also noted that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to visit Cyprus over the next period.

“We all know that there are some member states of the European Union that over time have shown a special sensitivity towards Turkey and have had excellent relations over time, better relations than some other member states. And since they have a positive view of our approach, I believe that they should be used in this direction,” Christodoulides noted.

Regarding the meeting with the UN Secretary General during the working lunch with the heads of state on Thursday, Christodoulides noted that Antonio Guterres had a meeting with Charles Michel and the Cyprus problem was also discussed.

Responding to a question, Christodoulides added that Guterres and Michel discussed the EU’s potential more active engagement “as a positive element in the effort to break the deadlock and to move forward.”

Christodoulides also estimated that there will be a visit to Cyprus by a UN official before the elections in Turkey, and added that he will have more specific conversations with his interlocutors “on how to translate our proposal into action so that it can be manifested immediately after the elections”.

“The time until the elections in Turkey is not wasted, it is crucial to prepare the ground,” he added.

“What we have agreed, especially with the Presidents of the Commission and the Council, but also with some heads of state who have a special relationship with Turkey or are more interested in the Cyprus problem, is that we will be in contact in the near future to see how this proposal is being promoted,” he said.

With regards to the objective of appointing an EU envoy, “if and when this objective is achieved, it will be after the elections” in Turkey, he added.

Christodoulides confirmed that he used the non-paper that has been prepared with ideas on the Cyprus problem, but that he did not give to his interlocutors, but used it as a basis to develop his arguments.

He underlined that he does not seek to replace the UN with the EU and that he conveyed this to his interlocutors. “What we are seeking is for the European Union to be supportive of the UN’s efforts,” he stressed, noting that the UN framework is our “safety net” against attempts by the other side to distort the objective for a solution within the known parameters.

The EU, he continued, “has all those incentives, it has the toolbox that can lead to what we are seeking”, namely the end of the deadlock, which he said corresponds to “the political dimension of the engagement we are seeking” from the EU. Technical support from the EU will follow when and if negotiations start, as was the case during the last negotiating process he added.

Commenting on the procedural aspects of the possible appointment of an EU envoy, Christodoulides said that “we are in the preparatory stage’ and that once there is a conclusion on this ‘it will be translated either into a concrete decision or into European Council conclusions.”

Such en envoy, he said, should be “a political personality, hailing from a member state of the European Union and this should not be the first time dealing with the Cyprus problem or with EU-Turkish relations”.

Responding to a question by CNA on how a negotiation process can be linked to EU – Turkey relations, and how Varosha fits into this context, Christodoulides said that this is a process “which is linked to the resumption of the Cyprus talks, but also to progress in the negotiations, because no one wants negotiations for the sake of negotiations.” Progress in the negotiations, he continued, “is linked to the development of other positive developments” on issues in which the European Union “can contribute with the agreement of the Republic of Cyprus.”

“Certainly the Famagusta issue fits in this context. I gave some examples after being asked by my interlocutors to talk specifically’ he said, adding that the document he has prepared includes specific examples of issues where there can be steps towards a ‘mutually beneficial situation.”

Responding to a comment that it is necessary for this proposal to be acceptable by both Turkey and the United Kingdom as a guarantor power, Christodoulides stressed that “certainly our goal is not just to secure a decision that cannot be implemented”, and that “this is what we will try to do throughout this period until the elections.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The president of a Japanese language school has reportedly resigned after calling Ukrainian students “elite refugees” who get more than they deserve from the government.

The Nippon Academy in Maebashi, Japan, announced on Monday that Masumi Shimizu would step down from his position, local newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported on Thursday.

Shimizu’s school has accepted 38 Ukrainian students, who objected when management asked them to start paying for tuition after receiving several months for free. Speaking at a press conference last month, Shimizu referred to the students as “robbers” and “elite refugees,” who enjoy free rent and tax exemptions while Asian students struggle to make ends meet.

Shimizu’s comments went public, and the school was reprimanded by prefectural authorities. These authorities then announced that Ukrainian students who wished to continue learning Japanese would receive payments to do so, while continuing to enjoy free housing and assistance with living expenses, the Mainichi newspaper reported.

The former school director refused to apologize as he stepped down, insisting that the “prefectural government is doing far more than it should” for the Ukrainians. Shimizu added that the refugees – some of whom told the Mainichi that his remarks caused them emotional damage – are acting like a “privileged class.”

Shimizu said that he was urged to resign by the school’s board of management.

The Asahi Shimbun reported a similar incident last year in which an Afghan asylum seeker in Japan condemned the government’s apparent double standards in relation to Ukrainian refugees. He claimed that Tokyo was giving Ukrainians preferential treatment in an “extremely political move.”

Japan has taken in around 2,300 Ukrainian refugees since last February, the majority of whom speak little to no Japanese. An ethnically and linguistically homogeneous society, Japan has traditionally kept its doors closed to refugees and immigrants, and accepted a record 74 asylum applications in 2021, up from 27 the year before.

Ukrainians in Japan are not technically recognized as “refugees,” a designation that would grant them five-year visas. Instead they are given one-year work permits with the possibility of extension.

Source: Russia Today

Whistleblowers have described the accident and emergency (A&E) department at Hull Royal Infirmary as “incredibly dangerous” and a “death trap”.

The Care Quality Commission (CSC) found Hull University Teaching Hospitals required improvement overall and its A&E department was rated inadequate.

Two clinical staff members, who wished to remain anonymous, described it as a “toxic” place to work.

The trust said the report found it had enough staff to ensure patient safety.

Speaking to the BBC, the two staff members who have worked in Hull’s A&E department said they had raised concerns with senior managers and the CQC.

They said there were frequently fewer staff than needed and warned inexperienced staff, one whom had never seen a cardiac arrest, were working in areas like resuscitation, which was “incredibly dangerous”.

‘It is terrifying’

“Nurses who aren’t even signed off to give oral medication are being put in resuscitation,” one said.

“It’s a death trap, it is terrifying.”

Despite these concerns, CQC inspectors in December and November did find the service “had enough medical staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment”.

However, inspectors said the department “did not always ensure staff were competent for their roles”.

Chris Long, chief executive of the trust, said the issues reflected the challenges of high demand and the difficulties in discharging patients who were medically fit.

He added there had been a high turnover of staff, particularly given the impact of the pandemic in the last few years.

He said: “What we can’t do, as easily as we want to, is recruit skilled experienced staff so we are having to take staff out of the training system and train them on the job.”

He said a number of experienced staff, who had delayed their retirement during Covid, were now leaving and that the issue of attracting skilled staff was a national one, with more than 125,000 vacancies across the NHS.

The members of staff who spoke to the BBC also described a “very toxic atmosphere” in the A&E department and a lack of morale.

“Numerous staff are leaving, one even quitting their job without another to go to,” they said.

“Experienced doctors and nurses have left in droves and the department is relying on junior, inexperienced staff.”

Another said: “There was a real problem in retaining experienced staff – the culture of bullying and blame had a huge impact, along with the lack of opportunity for career progression.”

However, a trust spokesperson said the department had a low vacancy rate of less than 5% and more junior doctors than ever before.

“We have 20.5 consultant posts in A&E with one vacancy, and we have increased this number of posts by three in the last 18 months.” they added.

Mr Long said the trust had also done a great deal of work to address cultural issues, while accepting the pressure staff faced.

“You get to a point people are so tired, so burned out, so worn out, that if they are being asked to do something they don’t feel comfortable with or just don’t want to do that would often result in people using terms like bullying.”

He said the trust was, like many others, experiencing a “sustained period of extreme pressure” on its emergency services and said a number of improvements in response to the report were already taking place.

“We apologise to anyone who has not received the quality of care we always aim to provide,” he said.

Source: BBC

Consul of Cyprus in Bahrain Christos Poullaides had a series of meetings with Ministers of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Manama during which he discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and energy.

According to a press release from the Consul’s office, Poullaides met with the Minister of Electricity and Energy Yaser Bin Ebrahim Humaidan, Minister of Public Works Ibrahim bin Hassan Al Hawaj and Minister of Tourism Fatima Jaafar Al-Sairafi.

During the meetings, issues of common interest, Cyprus-Bahrain relations and cooperation in the fields of energy, electricity, infrastructure and tourism were on the agenda.

The Minister of Electricity and Energy expressed to the Consul his wish to strengthen his country’s relations with Cyprus in the electricity and water sectors. Poullaides praised bilateral relations and confirmed his support for all efforts to strengthen the ties between the two countries, the press release says.

It adds that Cyprus-Bahrain cooperation was the main topic discussed by the Consul with the country’s Minister of Public Works, Ibrahim bin Hassan Al Hawaj. The Bahraini Minister referred to the know-how of Cyprus in the fields of infrastructure development and reconstruction.

Poullaides also held a meeting with the Minister of Tourism during which he discussed cultural and tourism cooperation.

He said that Minister Al-Sairafi praised the cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism and assured of the will of the Ministry of Tourism to take initiatives and promote projects aimed at the strengthening of the tourism sector in her country.

She also made special reference to the exchange of know-how and underlined the importance of strengthening joint actions with the aim of strengthening the efficiency of the plans and efforts of the Ministry of Tourism to open the European market.

The Consul of Cyprus, for his part, referred to the achievements of the tourism sector of Cyprus and its growing contribution to the country’s GDP and assured of the will to promote cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A controversial bill submitted to the Romanian parliament this week has urged the government to drop its recognition of Ukraine’s borders by 2027 and “annex” territories where ethnic Romanians live.

The bill, introduced by right-wing lawmaker Diana Sosoaca, would repeal a provision in the 1997 treaty with Ukraine, which pledged respect for each other’s national borders. She described the document as “the biggest act of treason” in Romania’s modern history because it “recognized the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact,” according to a formal justification of the bill.

Sosoaca was referring to the non-aggression agreement between the USSR and Nazi Germany, sealed in August 1939, which included a classified portion delineating spheres of influence for Moscow and Berlin.

The pact was one of several such agreements signed by European nations with Adolf Hitler’s government, as they maneuvered diplomatically in the last days of the interwar period. Romania was a Nazi ally for a significant portion of World War II, before switching sides. It lost some of its territories in the post-war settlement, which were added to Soviet Ukraine and Soviet Moldova.

Poland wants more land – media

Read more Poland wants more land – media

Sosoaca listed several lands, which she deems as historically Romanian and currently “abusively held by Ukraine,” from Northern Bukovina to Snake Island. The latter was part of a lengthy legal battle over maritime borders, which ended in 2009 with Kiev keeping sovereignty over the islet.

Romania would “annex” those territories under the bill. The legislator cited a need to protect ethnic Romanians living in Ukraine from Kiev’s discriminatory policies, and ensure that they can maintain their cultural identity.

After the bill was met with pushback in Romania, Sosoaca stressed that she did not want Bucharest to go to war with Kiev for a land grab. However, she added: “peace cannot be based on the forced ethnic assimilation of the Romanian minority, which is the practice of the Ukrainian state.”

The initiative was introduced in the upper chamber of the Romanian parliament on Monday, with Sosoaca’s SOS Party holding a presentation the next day. She used to be a member of a different political force, but was expelled from its parliamentary faction in 2021 for allegedly breaking with its political strategy, and is now technically independent.

Critics have described Sosoaca as “far right” and claimed that she has ties with Russia, based on her attempts to soften a diplomatic dispute a few years ago, and her calls for a neutral stance on the Ukrainian conflict. The Romanian government is a staunch supporter of Kiev.

Source: Russia Today

CAP 2023-2027: How is your farm affected?

On the 1st of January this year, a new five-year CAP period started. Andy Ryder, Drystock Advisor, tells us there are a number of important changes occurring in relation to the distribution of CAP payments that farmers need to know about.

The majority of farmers will have no issue meeting the new requirements, but there will be some farmers that will have to make changes at farm level to be eligible for the new schemes.

Name changes

BPS/Greening (Basic Payment Scheme) is now broken up in to three schemes: BISS (Basic Income Support for Sustainability); ECO (Eco-Scheme); and CRISS (Complementary Redistributive Support for Sustainability). BISS is the new name for entitlements with a lower value due to ECO and CRISS being removed. ECO scheme is worth €70-80/ha and application to join is voluntary. Farmers have to select two actions from a menu of eight actions to get the Eco payment. These actions are selected when making the annual BISS application. CRISS is a front loaded payment of €40/ha paid up to the first 30ha.

Convergence

Currently, all farmers are at or above 60% of the national average value of entitlements due to convergence in the last CAP period. This CAP period will increase convergence to 85% over the next five years. A lot of farmers in Co. Mayo will benefit from increased value of entitlements. There will also be a portion of farmers that will see their entitlement value fall over the next five years.

Active farmer

There are new requirements in CAP, effective since 01/01/2023, to ensure that farmers that are receiving payments are those that are actually farming. So how can farmers meet these active farmer requirements?

Have a minimum livestock of 0.1LU/ha for year;

Make hay/silage;

Topping;

Have equine grazing;

Eligible forestry.

Farmers will need receipts to prove they carried out some of these activities. Again, most farmers will automatically meet the requirements, while others will have to change their current system.

Agricultural activity

This is a check by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, at a parcel/field level using AMS (Areal Monitoring System). For parcels to pass the checks:

There needs to be an activity taking place on the parcel;

The applicant responsible for the parcel carries out the activity;

Applicant has a right to the land.

At application stage, farmers need to indicate what activity will occur on their parcels and this will be the basis on how checks will be carried out.

Minimum stocking levels required

There is a minimum of 0.1LU/ha for the year required for the following schemes:

ANC scheme;

Active farmer’s status (if using stock to comply);

Eco Scheme Option 2 (Extensive Livestock production).

Stocking rate coefficients

Dairy cow 1 LU 1-2 year old 0.6LU

Suckler cow 0.8LU 0-1 year old 0.4LU

2 year old male 1 LU Sheep 0.1LU

2 year old female 0.8LU Equine 0.8LU

Additional checks before making your BISS application

Herd number changes – Get this completed as soon as possible as it takes time and the BISS application is completed online.

Land changes – Addition or loss of parcels will effect ECO Scheme, entitlements usage.

Entitlements leasing/sales – Needs to be done at application time.

Young Farmers Scheme/National Reserve Application – substantial increase in payments. Ensure existing young farmers reapply again this year and new applicants apply on time.

With margins tight on drystock farms, it is important to complete BISS application correctly to safeguard this crucial source of income. With a lot of changes this year, it is important to complete this application on time well before the closing date of 29th May 2023.

Source: EMM/ Agriculture and food department authoriy

President Christodoulides had the opportunity to brief his counterparts in the European Council of his approach regarding the Cyprus issue, during the beginning of the second day of the summit which is dedicated to developments in the euro area.

According to a European official, the President’s intervention took place at the beginning of the Eurosummit, during which he repeated his ‘strong plea’ that has already been made in public regarding an enhanced role for the EU in efforts towards a resumption of reunification negotiations.

The intervention was organised as a communication point, which means that there was no discussion on the issue following the President’s speech.

So far President Christodoulides has briefed the Presidents of the Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament on the ways in which the EU can contribute to restarting negotiations, as well as how a negotiation process could progress along with developments in EU – Turkey relations.

On Thursday night the President had the opportunity to talk with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the margins of the summit, and he is expected to have a similar conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron today.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Kiev’s forces will be in better shape than they were a year ago, Dan Rice has predicted The Ukrainian military is poised to unleash a massive offensive against Russian troops in the coming weeks, which will stun the global community, an American adviser to Kiev’s top general claimed on Thursday.

Speaking in an interview with the Ukrainian daily New Voice, Dan Rice, an Iraq War veteran who now serves as an adviser to Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, claimed Russia had encountered serious hurdles while trying to gain control of the key Donbass city of Artyomovsk, known in Ukraine as Bakhmut.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have captured several villages around the strategic logistical hub, with Evgeny Prigozhin, chief of the Wagner Private Military Company, claiming the group was in control of 70% of the city. Last week, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, described the Ukrainian troops’ situation on the ground as “very poor,” saying they were virtually encircled and suffering heavy losses.

While Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky himself has described the battle as “one of the hardest,” Rice played down those difficulties, focusing instead on adverse weather conditions, and asserting that Moscow had chosen a “terrible time to attack.”

He stated that when the “right time” for Kiev’s offensive comes in the spring, “Ukraine will have a much stronger army, and much better provision than it had a year ago” when hostilities started.

“And you have to go on the offensive to win back positions. And I believe that this spring Ukraine will have a very powerful counteroffensive that will shock the world,” Rice insisted.

Last week Politico reported, citing sources, that the US expected Kiev to start its counterattack in May after receiving more Western weapons. The news outlet said that while Kiev had not made a final decision on its strategy, US officials believe that Ukrainian forces could push into Crimea either by crossing the Dnieper River – a scenario deemed unrealistic – or move from the north in a bid to cut off Russian troops on the peninsula.

When asked to comment on the report, Mikhail Podoliak, a senior aide to Zelensky, expressed frustration that such sensitive information was being disclosed, explaining that any counter-offensive “should be a surprise for the enemy”.

Source: Russia Today

MPs have approved plans to make street sexual harassment a crime carrying a jail sentence of up to two years.

Catcalling, following someone or blocking their path will become an offence in England and Wales under a bill backed by the government.

Sexual harassment is already illegal. The bill aims to improve enforcement and targets street harassment.

Conservative Greg Clark, who put it forward, said it was “astonishing” that this was not already a crime.

The move was unopposed, and now goes to the House of Lords for scrutiny.

Street harassment law being blocked, adviser says

Would you report or try to stop sexual harassment?

Street harassment ‘relentless’ for women

Mr Clark, a former business secretary, told MPs the intention of his bill was “to reinforce a change in the culture”.

“This closes a loophole in the law, as it has never has been a specific criminal offence to harass and intimidate intentionally a woman or a girl in public,” he told the BBC.

“Because it is not a specific crime, too many woman and girls think there is no point in reporting it to the police.

“This is something we don’t tolerate for racial harassment or harassment on the grounds of sexuality.”

Feeling unsafe

While targeted at changing behaviour towards women and girls, the proposals will apply equally to men and women.

The government backed the plans in December, meaning the changes are almost guaranteed to become law.

A survey by pollsters YouGov for the BBC, published last year, suggested two-thirds of women did not feel safe walking alone at night, at least some of the time.

Women and girls under 34 are most likely to be the target of sexual offences but the least likely to report them, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The CPS, which decides whether to take cases to court, recently updated its advice to staff about street harassment. The new guidelines also cover offences like exposure, stalking and sexual assault.

The murder of Sarah Everard, who was abducted and killed by serving policeman Wayne Couzens while walking home in south London in 2021, also increased concerns about women’s safety and male attitudes towards women.

Six months later, primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, was murdered in south London by a man she had never met.

The private member’s bill will criminalise:

Deliberately walking closely behind someone as they walk home at night

Making obscene or aggressive comments towards a person in the street

Making obscene or offensive gestures towards a person in the street

Obstructing someone’s path

Driving or riding a vehicle slowly near someone making a journey

Harsher sentences will also be introduced, increasing the maximum jail term from six months to two years.

Speaking in the Commons, Tory MP Christopher Chope said the bill could lead to a deterioration in mental health in young men.

“A reasonable worry about assault appears to have morphed into an institutional misandry,” he told MPs.

“Sexual assault is bad and treating men as inherent sex pests is also bad.”

But Mr Chope did not vote against the bill.

Wolf-whistling

Campaigners have also called for wolf-whistling and staring intently to be criminalised.

Last July, then Home Secretary Priti Patel launched a consultation on making street harassment a specific crime. The Home Office has now concluded this should happen after “the significant majority” of respondents were in favour.

Last year, Independent Government Adviser for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Nimco Ali claimed the government had blocked such legislation.

Crime and policing minister Chris Philp told MPs the government was pleased to back the bill.

“This is only part of a wider piece of work to protect women and girls in particular.

“There is of course a lot more work to do. I look forward to working with colleagues in government and across the House.”

Last year, the Home Office launched a campaign encouraging people to call out harassment.

It’s called Enough, and you might have seen posters for it popping up on public transport over the past month or so.

The adverts suggest ways for people to intervene if they see someone being harassed.

Source: BBC