World
‘Wave of poverty’ expected to hit Brussels in winter, says expert
The Belgian capital is prone to see a big rise in poverty this winter, in line with one knowledgeable.
Khalid Zian, president of the Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS) in Brussels, advised Euronews that on account of spiking power payments, lots of the poorest folks could possibly be pushed right into a troublesome state of affairs.
“We anticipate there to be a wave of poverty rolling over the town of Brussels, over the area as a result of certainly, we’ve traits particular to the area,” Zian stated. “We’ve a number of tenants and houses which can be power sieves and are usually not sufficiently insulated or the place power consumption shouldn’t be managed.”
The CPAS president just lately began an data marketing campaign at native markets about their choices for assist, saying that, to this point, requests by households for help have doubled.
The Belgian federal authorities has already introduced a plan to attempt to comprise the evolving disaster, together with a social power tariff for the poor, a minimize in VAT for gasoline and electrical energy, and elevated assist for the renovation of homes.
However Zian says these measures are usually not sufficient and he needs to see a brand new European market regulation the place power turns into a necessary good.
“We predict power is a necessary good. It should escape the legal guidelines of the standard market. We’d like a regulated market the place European states and even Europe can set ceilings. Everybody wants power,” he advised Euronews.
Euronews spoke to Belgian Quentin Spitaels, who stated his gasoline and electrical energy payments have exploded this 12 months.
For his four-bedroom home near the town of Namur, he now pays €659 for utilities each month, earlier than beforehand paying €200. The daddy of 4 says the Belgian authorities’s measures to comprise the social disaster are usually not sufficient.
“I do not assume it is sufficient given the variety of households which can be on this state of affairs,” Spitaels defined. “We do not know if we should do one thing related like in Nice Britain the place there’s a motion which is telling folks to not pay their payments anymore. And that may make politicians react in a stronger means.”
For László Andor, secretary normal of the Basis for European Progressive Research (FEPS), many European nations’ security nets are too weak.
“It is a massive activity for a social security internet in nations the place the social security internet shouldn’t be sturdy sufficient, they should reinforce it. And this is likely to be the time to roll out new varieties of primary companies,” Andor stated.
“Now, the time might need come for common primary companies to roll out companies which make the state of affairs manageable for probably the most weak social teams. Heating is one crucial space the place some sort of intervention is important. It could differ nation from nation to nation.”
He added that this could possibly be funded by shifting in direction of a extra progressive revenue tax system.
“This can be additionally the time when governments can reform tax programs. In Europe, seven or eight nations nonetheless have flat revenue tax, private revenue tax. So this is likely to be reconsidered. And people that are maintained flat in context can introduce progressive revenue taxation after which assist financing the requirements and strengthen the social security nets.”
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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