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European Commission delays decision on asylum seeker quotas

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European Commission delays decision on asylum seeker quotas

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The European Commission will not meet the deadline to adopt its report on migration in the EU over the previous year, which will serve as the basis for decisions on the matter at the bloc’s level, Euronews has learned.

“The Commission will take more time to fine-tune the report, which should be adopted soon, in the next weeks”, internal sources told Euronews, explaining that consultations with member states are still ongoing.

The EU executive was required, through new regulations, to adopt the migration report by Wednesday and to pass it to the European Parliament and the Council.

The European Annual Asylum and Migration Report should include an assessment of the overall migratory situation across EU countries, such as the number of asylum applications, the number of persons granted international protection, irregular entries, and reception capacity.

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It will designate some EU countries as being “under migratory pressure”, “at risk of migratory pressure” or “facing a significant migratory situation”. This designation would pave the way for a so-called solidarity mechanism, under which asylum seekers would be relocated to other member states.

Alongside the report, the Commission plans to establish an Annual Solidarity Pool to determine the total number of asylum seekers to be relocated and the amount each member state should allocate.

Together, the report and the solidarity pool would be the basis for developing the system of “mandatory solidarity” envisaged in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the major reform of migration policy adopted in 2024.

This “mandatory solidarity” should be provided by each member state in proportion to its population and total GDP. This means that the most prominent and wealthiest EU countries are asked to do more to manage the EU asylum system.

According to this system, EU members’ governments could choose among hree options to meet the needs outlined in the solidarity pool: relocate a certain number of asylum seekers to their own territory, pay €20,000 per person they do not relocate, or finance operational support in member states under migratory pressure.

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According to the regulations, each solidarity pool should include at least 30,000 relocations and €600 million in financial contributions.

Once proposed by the Commission, the Annual Solidarity Pool must be approved by the EU member states, which can reject the proposal only with a qualified majority — meaning at least 15 countries out of 27 representing at least 65% of the total EU population have to say no.

Criticising the Commission’s failure to meet the deadline, German lawmaker Birgit Sippel, one of the leading MEPs in the negotiations on the migration pact, announced on social media that she is calling for an urgent meeting in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

According to the mid-year review of the European Union Agency for Asylum, Germany lost the top spot among EU countries for the most asylum requests in the first half of 2025. France (78,000) and Spain (77,000) both received more applications than Germany, which has been the leading destination for asylum seekers in recent years.

Spain is the EU country that has granted the highest number of protection status to asylum seekers in the second quarter of 2025 (16,060, 24.4% of the EU total), ahead of France (14,220, 21.6%), Germany (13,450, 20.5%), and Italy (7,360, 11.2%).

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The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law

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The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police were investigating the deadly car explosion in New Delhi under an anti-terrorism law, officials said Tuesday, as forensic experts worked to determine the cause of the blast.

The explosion occurred near the historic Red Fort late Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others.

Senior police officials told The Associated Press that a case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, India’s main anti-terrorism law, which allows broader powers to investigating agencies to detain suspects. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a scheduled visit to Bhutan on Tuesday, said investigators would “get to the bottom of this conspiracy.

“The conspirators won’t be spared and all those responsible will be brought to justice,” Modi said.

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Police said the explosion was believed to have originated from a Hyundai i20 car that had stopped at a traffic signal. Nearby vehicles were badly damaged, and photos showed shattered windows, twisted metal and flames engulfing several cars.

Police were trying to trace the car’s owner. There was no immediate information about the occupants, who were believed to have been killed.

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Home Minister Amit Shah said Monday that “all angles” were being investigated and that security agencies would reach a conclusion soon. He said footage from cameras in the area would play a key role in the investigation.

Major train stations, including in Mumbai and in Uttar Pradesh state, which borders New Delhi, were put on security alert. The security force responsible for guarding key installations in the capital, including New Delhi’s international airport, metro system and major government buildings, said its personnel had also been placed on security alert.

A former imperial palace, the Red Fort is a sprawling Mughal-era complex and a major tourist attraction in the Old Delhi section of the city. Located about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Parliament, the 17th-century monument is a symbolic location where Indian prime ministers deliver their Independence Day speeches on Aug. 15 each year.

The area around Red Fort is typically crowded, serving as a main route to the bustling bazaars of the old city.

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Government shutdown reaches overseas bases as many feel the strain

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Government shutdown reaches overseas bases as many feel the strain

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Thousands of miles from the stalemate in Washington D.C., the effects of the government shutdown are being felt around the world. While President Donald Trump found a way to temporarily pay U.S. troops — others on base aren’t so lucky, including teachers and support staff.

Donna Irwin, a substitute teacher at a naval base in Italy, says the impact is deeply felt. “It has been absolutely terrible to watch and the morale at the school, I mean it’s low,” Irwin said.

LAWMAKER WARNS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS POTENTIALLY LEADING TO BIG WASTE IN THE MILITARY, IMPACTING READINESS

Some American educators abroad are not allowed to take second jobs while the government shutdown leaves military school staff unpaid overseas.

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The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates 161 schools in 11 countries, seven states and two territories across 10 time zones. Nearly 900,000 military-connected children live worldwide, 67,000 of whom are enrolled in DoDEA schools and served by more than 14,000 employees.

In a statement, DoDEA’s communications operations chief Jessica Tackaberry told Fox News that they remain “committed to providing a world-class education” and that they “understand the difficulties this situation may create for our dedicated educators and staff who are working without pay. DoDEA is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance and support to employees as needed.”

Athletics and co-curricular activities are also considered excepted activities at this time.

The Department of Defense Education Activity acknowledges the challenges faced by educators and staff working without pay during the government shutdown.

Irwin considers herself lucky that her husband is still getting a paycheck as a sailor, but with half their income on hold, they’re cutting back. She says that even when the government reopens, repayment can still take a while.

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HOUSE CONSERVATIVE LEADER GIVES BLESSING TO SENATE SHUTDOWN DEAL, WITH ‘ONE CAVEAT’

“Especially out here, you feel forgotten because we are here to support that mission — as DoD contractors, as spouses and family members of the service members,. You know, these bases, these installations — they really don’t function without us, without our vital jobs and our support,” she said.

It’s a unique situation for Americans living abroad. For many, taking a second job off base isn’t allowed under their contract agreements. Living an ocean away from family who could help adds to the stress. Some are simply trying to explain to European landlords that their employer isn’t sending a paycheck, and they can’t afford rent or utility bills.

Some teachers at military bases abroad pay out of pocket for snacks and school supplies for their students as they work without compensation during the government shutdown. (John Moore/Getty Images)

“We oftentimes forget about all those little auto-pay things we have — everything from streaming services to healthcare needs — and they’re having to do these deep dives into their bank accounts and cancel all of these, you know, car insurance, your vehicle,” Irwin said.

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Despite the shutdown, educators say their students still come first and that the mission continues — even if it means footing the bill themselves for snacks and school supplies. Irwin works in a special education classroom, teaching essential life skills such as cooking and cleaning.

“I have no budget for any of that in my current classroom, so I’ve been having to go to the commissary myself and make do, trying to buy things that I can’t afford right now for these students who desperately need those life skills,” Irwin said. “I think the saddest thing for me is watching my students come in, and they don’t fully understand everything that’s happening with the government and with politics and to see them worried, to see them worry about, ‘Am I going to have a meal tomorrow, am I going to have a meal today?’”

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US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown

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US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown

The measure still needs to be approved by the House and signed by US President Donald Trump.

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The United States is moving closer to ending its record-breaking government shutdown after the Senate took a critical step forward to end its five-week impasse.

The Senate on Monday night approved a spending package by a vote of 60 to 40 to fund the US government through January 30, and reinstate pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

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The spending bill next moves to the House of Representatives for approval and then on to President Donald Trump for a sign-off before the shutdown can finally end.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.

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The vote in the Senate follows negotiations this weekend that saw seven Democrats and one Independent agree to vote in favour of the updated spending package to end the shutdown, which enters its 42nd day on Tuesday.

Also included in the deal are three-year funding appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, military construction projects, veterans affairs and congressional operations.

The bill does not, however, resolve one of the most central issues in the shutdown – extending healthcare subsidies. Senate Republicans have agreed to vote on the issue as a separate measure in December.

US legislators have been under growing pressure to end the government shutdown, which enters its forty-second day on Tuesday, as their constituents feel the impact of funding lapses for programmes like food stamps.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, while Trump has separately threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to slash the federal workforce.

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Voters have also felt the impact of the shutdown at airports across the US after the Federal Aviation Administration last week announced a 10 percent cut in air traffic due to absences from air traffic controllers.

The cuts have created chaos for US air travel just as the country is heading into its busiest travel season of the year.

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