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EU plans for border staff in Western Balkans to curb illegal migration

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EU plans for border staff in Western Balkans to curb illegal migration

Employees from the European Union’s exterior border company might quickly be deployed at non-EU borders within the Western Balkans as a part of a plan to curb irregular arrivals from the area, the European Fee introduced on Monday.

“The quantity we now have proper now within the Western Balkans is round 500 personnel from Frontex deployed already however as we speak they’re solely deployed on the border between the Western Balkan companions and the EU exterior borders,” Residence Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson instructed reporters.

“With a brand new mandate, it is going to be doable to deploy additionally internally so to say, between two completely different Western Balkan companions,” she mentioned, including that it is for Frontex to resolve on the numbers vital.

This measure is a part of the Motion Plan on the Western Balkans proposed by the European Fee to sort out an increase of migrants getting into the EU through the Western Balkans.

Greater than 128,000 unlawful border crossings into the EU had been recorded through the Western Balkans in the course of the first 10 months of the yr, in line with Frontex information. That represents a 168% improve from the identical interval in 2021.

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‘Threat of recent routes’

One other pillar of the Fee’s plan, unveiled a day earlier than an EU-Western Balkans summit in Albania, is for higher visa alignment between the Western Balkan nations and the EU to make sure that overseas nationals who journey to the Western Balkans visa-free don’t then cross into the EU.

Most Western Balkan international locations have visa-free preparations with the EU. Johansson mentioned that Serbia is the principle port of entry into the EU for such folks.

Serbia has visa-free offers with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Guinea Bissau, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Suriname, and Turkey.

It just lately ended visa-free journey with Tunisia and Burundi and “they’ve additionally promised to do the identical in terms of India and likewise promised to align additional with different third international locations,” the Commissioner mentioned. 

“However all of the Western Balkan companions have vital gaps in terms of visa coverage alignment with the EU visa coverage, and that is why they should be addressed in all of the Western Balkan international locations,” she added.

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She additionally instructed reporters that “with a stronger alignment in Serbia, there may additionally be a danger of recent routes utilizing visa-free regimes in different Western Balkan international locations.”

Three key summits

Visa alignment is anticipated to be mentioned by leaders on the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana on Tuesday. 

Alignment with the EU’s overseas and safety coverage together with sanction regimes, a prerequisite to accession into the bloc, may even be on the agenda.

Right here, once more, Serbia is an outlier having up to now refused to impose any restrictive measures on Russia over its battle in Ukraine.

Serbian President Aleksander Vučić has threatened to boycott the summit, held for the primary time in a Western Balkan nation, over a dispute with Kosovo.

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The summit will come days earlier than conferences of EU residence affairs ministers and leaders in Brussels the place the candidate standing for Bosnia and Herzegovina and visa liberalisation for Kosovo will probably be mentioned.

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Ferry tickets to Capri were temporarily halted due emergency

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Ferry tickets to Capri were temporarily halted due emergency

Thousands of keen island-hoppers had to remain on Italian mainland as the mayor of one of the country’s most popular islands, Capri, temporarily banned tourists.

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A water emergency prompted the mayor of one of Italy’s most popular islands, Capri, to order a halt to the arrival of tourists on Saturday. The move was prompted by a water crisis that has deprived some areas of any water supply.

Mayor Paolo Falco said that without a water supply, it is impossible to guarantee essential services to “thousands of people” who travel to the island daily during the tourist season.

“The health and hygiene situation is explosive, we have taken our countermeasures and activated the crisis unit and issued a restrictive order,” he said.

The emergency was caused by a failure in the mainland’s water system that provides vital supplies to the famous island.

At the moment water is still being supplied to most of Capri, but some isolated areas of the upper municipality of Anacapri are already dry. Only local reservoirs supply the network, which in the absence of supplies from the mainland risks being run out.

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Meanwhile, tanks are expected to reach the island to support essential services that require water.

The Mayor’s order was notified shortly after 9am causing an immediate stop to boat crossings.

The move has created long lines of passengers at the ticket offices at the ports of the southern city of Naples, the departing point for most ferries to Capri.

Ferries and hydrofoils that had already departed for Capri were contacted by radio by the maritime authorities, which ordered them to return to the mainland.

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No fairytale return to Germany for Lewandowski

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No fairytale return to Germany for Lewandowski
Given Germany is where Robert Lewandowski forged his fearsome reputation, Euro 2024 would have been a fitting arena for the Polish poacher to add significant gloss to an illustrious career and potentially end his international playing days on a high.
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Medical intern surprises would-be sexual abuser with hidden talent: 'Those lessons saved my life'

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Medical intern surprises would-be sexual abuser with hidden talent: 'Those lessons saved my life'

A medical intern in Thailand fought off a drunk nurse who tried to grope her one night, busting out fighting skills that helped her kick her would-be assaulter to the curb. 

“I have been doing Muay Thai boxing since I was a kid,” Petcharaporn Phadungjai, 22, told reporters. “I know how to kick, knee and punch someone. I know how to wrestle with them. It was my instinctive reaction to protect myself.”

“I’m lucky my grandfather taught me self-defense skills when I was a young girl,” she added. “Those lessons saved my life.”

CCTV footage from around midnight shows the 30-year-old male nurse approaching Petcharaporn from behind as she picked up some food before leaving for the night. He first circles behind her as though just wandering around the area aimlessly before turning and reaching for her.

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ANIMAL CARETAKERS IN THAILAND ‘SHOCKED’ AFTER SURPRISE BIRTH OF RARE TWIN ELEPHANTS

Petcharaporn Phadungjai, a 22-year-old medical intern in Thailand, fought off a would-be sexual abuser with Muay Thai.  (ViralPress)

As soon as the nurse’s arms wrap around the intern, she grabs him and drives him back towards the far wall. He keeps a strong grip on her, but as soon as she faces him, she drives her knee into his groin, giving herself a chance to pull free.

Once separated, she kicks him again, striking him in the stomach before setting into a defensive stance and yelling at him to back off. 

DOZENS ARRESTED AS THAI POLICE DISMANTLE CRIME NETWORK THAT FACILITATED LONG-TERM STAYS FOR FOREIGNERS

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Medical intern assault

A petite Thai medical intern used Muay Thai kicks to fight off a drunk male nurse assaulting her in a hospital. Speaking out publicly for the first time since the incident, Petcharaporn Phadungjai, 22 (pictured) said she was working a nightshift when the colleague crept up behind her and groped her in Samut Prakan, Thailand. But he was unaware that her hobby is Muay Thai boxing, and she kneed him in the crotch then kicked him in the stomach to subdue the alleged attacker. 

The hospital reported the incident to the police and fired the nurse as allegations that he had similarly harassed other female interns emerged, ViralPress reported. 

Petcharaporn said she had ordered dinner but could not pick it up herself, so the nurse, who was drinking at a neighboring food stall, offered to bring it to her. She had to go to the general ward, because men are not allowed in the women’s ward. 

THAI TOWN OVERRUN BY WILD MONKEYS LAUNCHES CAPTURE AND RELOCATION OPERATION

Bangkok tournament fighters

Muay Thai fighters warm up ahead of a Rajadamnern World Series Muay Thai tournament at Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on March 9, 2024.  (Valeria Mongelli/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“When he arrived, he told me to scan the QR code to pay for the food,” Petcharaporn said. “I placed the phone on the desk, and that’s when he grabbed me from behind.”

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She alleged that the nurse had flirted with her during her internship, often calling her “darling” or indicating he liked her, but she had treated it as teasing. She also revealed that she feared that he would try to rape her if she didn’t fight him off. 

Thailand suffers a significant sexual violence problem, with at least seven women sexually assaulted or abused per day, according to a report from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC). 

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