World
Swiss police investigate fake online ad campaign about energy wasting
Swiss police are investigating a pretend promoting marketing campaign that inspired folks to report their neighbours.
Residents have been informed to inform the authorities if anybody heated their houses greater than 19 levels Celsius this winter amid the power disaster. A reward of 200 Swiss francs (€208) was supposedly supplied for the nameless ideas.
The pretend advertisements have been broadly shared on Telegram and different social networks and in addition appeared in public at a bus cease shelter.
The deceptive marketing campaign was additionally reported by state information organisations in Russia and Belarus, whereas some social media customers falsely recommended that residents might even be imprisoned for heating their houses an excessive amount of.
On-line photos confirmed a younger lady utilizing a cell phone and the tagline: “Does your neighbour have their heating set at greater than 19C? Please contact us.”
The recognisable brand of the Swiss Confederation’s coat of arms additionally appeared on the advert poster.
The Division of Surroundings, Transport, Vitality and Communication (UVEK) has described the advert marketing campaign as a “manipulation” and warned residents towards the “false” message.
“The federal authorities has nothing to do with this name and formally distances itself from it,” UVEK mentioned in an announcement.
“There are neither such posters of the federal authorities nor corresponding requests, it’s clearly a manipulation.”
Open Source instruments present that the inventory picture of the girl has been used on-line since 2021.
The Swiss authorities has launched a marketing campaign encouraging householders to not waste power amid rising gasoline and oil costs amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However as an alternative of reporting on their neighbours, residents have been urged to take different measures akin to decreasing their thermostats, masking pots and pans whereas cooking, and turning off lights and home equipment when not in use.
Swiss federal police mentioned on Thursday that that they had obtained a criticism for “abusive use” of the coat of arms and different potential misdemeanours. An investigation is ongoing.
World
Explainer-The Electoral College and the 2024 US Presidential Race
World
Russia jails American Stephen Hubbard over fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine
A Russian court sentenced a 72-year-old American to nearly seven years in prison Monday after he was convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
Investigators alleged during a closed-door trial that Stephen Hubbard of Michigan was paid $1,000 a month to enlist in a Ukrainian defense unit in Izyum, a city in the eastern part of the country, where he had been residing since 2014, according to Reuters.
The news agency cited Russian investigators and state media as saying that Hubbard was trained and given weapons and ammunition after he allegedly signed up for the mercenary unit in February 2022. Two months later, he reportedly was detained by Russian soldiers and then pleaded guilty to charges of fighting as a mercenary.
Hubbard was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison. He is the first American known to have been convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict, according to the Associated Press.
RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER VIKTOR BOUT, WHO WAS TRADED FOR BRITTANY GRINER, TO SELL WEAPONS TO IRAN-BACKED HOUTHIS
The charges carry a potential sentence of 15 years, but prosecutors asked that his age be taken into account along with his admission of guilt, Russian news reports said.
Last month, Hubbard’s sister Patricia Hubbard Fox and another relative told Reuters that he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to have fought in battle at his age.
Russian state media is saying Hubbard plans to appeal the verdict. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
UKRAINIAN STRONGHOLD VUHLEDAR FALLS TO RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE AFTER TWO YEARS OF BOMBARDMENT
A court in the Russian city of Voronezh also sentenced American Robert Gilman on Monday to seven years and one month for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers while serving a sentence for another assault.
Gilman, a U.S. Marine veteran, was arrested in 2022 for causing a disturbance while intoxicated on a passenger train, and then allegedly assaulted a police officer while in custody, Russian news reports say. He is already serving a 3 1/2-year sentence on that charge.
State news agency RIA-Novosti said that last year, he assaulted a prison inspector during a cell check, then hit an official of the Investigative Committee, resulting in the new sentence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Asylum applications in the EU drop by 17% as countries tighten borders
Syrians remain the largest group among asylum seekers, while Germany, Spain, Italy and France face the most cases.
First-time applications from people seeking asylum in the EU have declined by 17% this summer, according to Eurostat.
Syrians are still the largest group of people seeking asylum with more than 10,000 first-time applicants. Venezuelans followed them with 6,340 and Afghans with 5,930 applications.
Germany, Spain, Italy and France still host the highest number of first-time asylum applicants. These four countries are processing 76% of all first-time applications in the EU.
According to the report, in June the EU total of first-time asylum applicants was 15.7 per 100,000 people.
Among the 70,375 seeking asylum in the EU, a bit over 2,000 are unaccompanied minors.
The majority of underaged asylum seekers are originally from Syria (675), Afghanistan (405) and Egypt (255).
Most of these children apply for asylum in Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain.
How are the EU countries reacting?
Despite the drop, migration remains a buzzword across EU member states, forcing the issue to the top of the agenda.
The 17% drop in asylum applications came as some of the bloc’s countries announced new tighter border controls.
Germany decided to tighten its land borders for six months in September and has allowed its law enforcement to reject more migrants right at its borders.
Temporary border controls are set up at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, adding to the existing checks, now totalling at all land crossings with nine European countries.
“Until we achieve strong protection of the EU’s external borders with the new Common European Asylum System, we need to strengthen controls at our national borders,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
The Dutch government has also confirmed its intention to ask “as soon as possible” for an opt-out clause from the EU’s migration and asylum rules.
For more information about this, watch the Euronews video in the player above.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
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