The Hungarian government is in favor of Sweden joining NATO and will soon schedule a ratification vote in the parliament, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Wednesday.
The move will allow Stockholm to become a member of the US-led military bloc after almost two years of delays. Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but ran into opposition from Türkiye and Hungary due to ongoing disputes with the two states. The bloc’s rules require unanimous consent before it can accept new member states. “Just finished a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,” Orban said on X (formerly Twitter). “I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO membership of Sweden. I also stressed that we will continue to urge the Hungarian National Assembly to vote in favor of Sweden’s accession and conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity.” Budapest has accused Stockholm of telling “blatant lies” about Hungarian democracy as part of an ongoing dispute within the EU. As of Wednesday, the Hungarian parliament has not put up the ratification vote on its docket. Turkish lawmakers voted to approve Sweden’s membership on Tuesday, sending the ratification bill to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s desk. Ankara had serious differences with Stockholm over human rights, terrorism, and arms trade, which interfered with NATO plans to have Sweden and Finland join the bloc together. Both Scandinavian countries abandoned their longstanding policy of non-alignment after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, citing it as a threat to their security. When Finland officially joined the bloc in April 2023, NATO doubled the length of its border with Russia. Moscow stated that it had no issue with either country until then, but would have to react if they join NATO. Russia has insisted that the bloc’s expansion eastward, which began in 1999, is a threat to Russian national security and one of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. Orban has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and said he would block any attempts by Kiev to join NATO or the EU, as that would mean “bringing the war” into both blocs.
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The European Union has put together a preliminary agreement that includes a €10,000 cap on cash payments to address the challenges posed by money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
The accord, reached through negotiations among member states and the European Parliament this week, seeks to protect citizens and the EU financial system from illicit financial activities. However, the proposed legislation raises privacy concerns and fears of state surveillance and government control over how people spend their money, as well as potential abuse of the new powers. The newly established regulations will impose the cash payment limit on entities engaged in financial services, banking, real estate agencies, asset management firms, casinos, and merchants. Moreover, these entities will be obligated to verify the identity of individuals making cash payments within the range of €3,000 to €10,000. While member countries have the flexibility to set lower limits for cash payments, the interim agreement introduces a heightened focus on monitoring high-net-worth individuals, a provision advocated for by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). In an expansion of the scope of oversight, the interim agreement now encompasses a significant segment of the cryptocurrency sector. Crypto service providers will be required to authenticate customer identities for transactions equal to or exceeding €1,000. Beginning in 2029, the regulatory framework will be extended to include professional football clubs and agents, which will be categorized as obligated entities. This classification mandates these entities authenticate customer identities, monitor transactions, and promptly report any suspicious money transfers to the financial intelligence services of their respective countries. The agreement empowers member countries to exclude football clubs and agents from their national lists if they are determined not to pose a risk. National financial intelligence services and other competent authorities will gain access to information on ownership, bank accounts, and land and property registries. These authorities will also supervise the transfer of ownership for specific luxury goods, setting thresholds at €250,000 for cars and €7.5 million for yachts and aircraft. The impending implementation of the new legislation has ignited a robust public debate, exposing a diverse range of viewpoints. Heightened apprehensions surrounding potential totalitarian surveillance, especially with exemptions for high-profile individuals, evoke disquieting parallels to Orwell’s ‘1984’ and intensify fears of a dystopian reality. Skepticism has been cast on the effectiveness of these regulations, prompting queries about their ability to genuinely combat money laundering and fostering calls for a more inclusive strategy that addresses the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector. Conversely, some interpret the EU’s cash payment cap as a positive stride toward meeting the needs of the contemporary economy. They acknowledge the evolving financial landscapes and the digitization of cash flows, including the growing influence of central bank digital currencies. However, there are those who condemn these measures as excessive state control. The ongoing discourse reflects a polarized perspective on the EU’s actions, encapsulating concerns about potential abuses of power and the necessity of adapting payment methods to contemporary needs. This debate underscores the intricate dynamics between financial regulations, surveillance, and individual freedoms in the digital age. A senior official of the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group says Chinese and Russian vessels will have safe passage through the Red Sea.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political leadership, said in an interview with the Russian outlet Izvestia that the shipping lanes around Yemen are safe to ships from China and Russia as long as vessels are not connected with Israel, Agence France-Presse reported Friday, citing Izvestia. The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza and have carried out more than 30 attacks in the Red Sea. However, the Houthis have launched attacks on ships with no apparent connection with Israel, resulting in some shipping firms avoiding the shipping lanes where the Houthis have launched attacks. Major shipping companies have responded by rerouting vessels on the longer and more expensive route around Africa. The Red Sea route is a vital shipping link between Europe and Asia, carrying about 15% of the world’s maritime traffic. The Houthi rebels launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement late Thursday. The statement said the crew saw the missiles land in the water near the ship. There were no reported injuries or damage to the ship, the M/V Chem Ranger, a Marshall Island-flagged, U.S.-owned, Greek-operated tanker ship, U.S. Central Command said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attack, claiming “direct hits,” a statement on the group’s social media said. On Thursday, U.S. forces carried out more strikes against targets inside Iranian-backed, Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, as concerns grow that the Israel-Hamas conflict could expand into a full-blown war across the Middle East. Israeli intelligence organizations have been working in collaboration with their European counterparts to counter Hamas in Europe, they announced via the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday evening. Hamas has been working with criminal elements to procure drones for planned attacks across Europe and the Middle East, as ordered by the senior Hamas leadership. In December, the security services and police in Denmark and Germany announced the arrest of an extensive network of Hamas operatives in Europe, those arrested have since had legal proceedings opened against them. Further arrests came earlier this week in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. More information regarding the arrests in Europe is restricted due to the ongoing legal cases in the respective countries. The assassination of Saleh Arouri earlier this month is linked to the arrests, with the claim being that he was involved in ordering operations across Europe and the Middle East. The two other men killed in the strike that killed Arouri were Samir Fandi and Azzam Akre, both fellow senior Hamas commanders. Akre had commanded Khalil al-Kharaz the former deputy commander of Hamas forces in Lebanon until his assassination in November. Kharaz was in charge of the Hamas cells operating in Europe, the very same ones arrested by European security services, which had been involved in the purchase of drones for planned attacks. Kharaz is claimed to have been involved in building relations with a Danish street gang called "LTF - Loyal To Familia," who were banned by Denmark in 2021.
LTF is charged with working on behalf of Hamas in Europe, including but not limited to Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, with some members now believed to be operating out of Lebanon. The use of local criminal gangs as a facade for terror activity is a common element of Iranian intelligence and terror operations, often used to maintain a space for denial of involvement. The integration of inter-organizational resources in Israel and across the world led to a comprehensive and in-depth picture of Hamas's terrorist activity development, including details about Hamas's actions and targets of attacks. The intelligence also revealed who was involved in implementing terror activity, from the Hamas commanders in Lebanon to the last member in their operational infrastructure. One piece of information discovered was about an intention to attack the Israeli embassy in Sweden, this required the purchase of drones and the use of criminal organizations close to Hamas in Europe. "Hamas draws inspiration from the terrorist activities of the Iranian regime, and like it, aims to hit Israeli, Jewish, and Western targets at any cost," the PMO said in a press release. "The Mossad, the Shin Bet, and the IDF, in partnership with international security and enforcement bodies, will continue to work to thwart the terrorist intentions.of Hamas and all terrorist organizations, to come to terms with them anywhere in the world for the security of the State of Israel and the Jewish people." According to the Mossad. Israel’s intelligence agency. the Palestinian militant group Hamas is running a network of operatives tasked with carrying out terrorist attacks in European countries.
The statement came after seven people were arrested last month in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning to target Jewish sites. “Hamas terrorist organization has acted to expand its violent activity abroad in order to attack innocents around the world,” Mossad and the Israel Security Agency said in a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday. It added that the militants planned to attack the Israeli Embassy in Sweden and sought to purchase drones. The suspects arrested in Europe last month were part of a larger Hamas network coordinated from Lebanon, Israeli officials said, adding that Hamas had planned to enlist the help of “criminal organizations” on the continent. Danish prosecutor Anders Larsson confirmed that the case stemming from the December arrest “has links to Hamas,” Danish police told AFP on Friday. The group itself has not commented on the matter, but said in the past that it only commits attacks in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. As Israel marks 100 days of its war with Hamas, Netanyahu addressed the nation on Sunday, reiterating that the operation in Gaza will continue until Israel completely neutralizes the threat coming from Hamas. “Nobody will stop us – not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anybody else,” Netanyahu said, referring to the genocide case brought before the International Court of Justice by South Africa. Israel rejected the accusations of indiscriminately killing Palestinians, speaking during the first day of hearings on Thursday. The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when the Palestinian militants carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and vowing to “eradicate” the group. More than 23,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to the local Hamas-run government.
According to the report, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were bearing the brunt of the closures in 2023. Businesses, employing up to 250 people, accounted for vast majority of the total, with 55,435 closures. Meanwhile, medium and large firms with over 250 employees, also saw an increase in closures, the regulator noted, adding that their numbers reached 57, doubling from 2022. The negative trend became the most notable in the restaurant and hotel business, where the number of busts surged 44.6% year-on-year, while the sector of information and communication technologies saw an increase of 44.4%. The country’s agricultural sector was the only one recording a drop of 1.3% in the number of bankruptcy filings.
In December, the Financial Times reported that the number of corporate bankruptcies across the world exceeded levels reached during the 2008 global financial crisis. Analysts attribute the surge to higher key rates, as well as self-liquidation of so-called ‘zombie firms,’ which had pulled through the Covid era only thanks to government support. The 20-nation euro currency bloc is expected to see only moderate economic growth, +0.6% in 2024, according to the results of a survey carried out by the Financial Times among 48 economists.
The outlooks issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are more optimistic, as analysts from the institutions expect the bloc’s economy to grow 0.8% and 1.2% in 2024, respectively. The experts polled by the FT said that the Eurozone economy won't be able to exceed 0.6% growth in spite of the fact that wages are expected to grow faster than inflation. Two thirds of the respondents said that they see the economy in the euro area slip into a recession. commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction. According to the economists, wage growth in the single currency area is set to total only 4% in 2024, while consumer prices are projected to rise by over 2.5% on average next year and slightly below 2.1% in 2025. The ECB had previously forecast wages and inflation next year to grow 4.6% and 2.7% respectively, which would mark the growth of real household incomes for the first time in three years. The regulator expects consumer prices to grow 2.1% in 2025. Meanwhile, unemployment is projected to rise from a record eurozone low of 6.5% in October to 6.9% at the end of next year, according to most economists polled. High interest rates, probable energy market turmoil and geopolitical instability are expected to lead to a deeper recession, the economists warned, saying that the potential election of Donald Trump as US president along with the possibility of Ukraine losing the military conflict with Russia could send the single currency bloc into a period of even weaker growth. More then 5,400 underage Asylum seekers arrived Alone in the Netherlands this Year, up 29%21/12/2023 The number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the Netherlands has been increasing, with over 5,400 applications up to November this year, compared to about 4,200 in 2022 and 2,200 in 2021, NOS reported on Thursday.
The proportion of unaccompanied minors within the total asylum applications in the Netherlands has risen to 16 percent this year, up from 9 percent in 2015. The WODC institute is presenting research on the motivations of these young asylum seekers to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, on Thursday. The Netherlands was considered a favorable destination due to relatively quick asylum and reunification processes, as noted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). Researchers anticipate that the current long waiting times for asylum in the Netherlands will become known among young people, potentially changing the country's previously positive image of faster procedures. Most young asylum seekers arrive in the Netherlands by chance, fleeing unsafe conditions in their home countries or in countries they initially escaped to. The increasing complexity of flight routes, including pushbacks, has led to a delay effect, resulting in an accumulation of asylum applications this year. Under the Dublin Regulation, minor asylum seekers cannot be returned to their first country of arrival in Europe. Young people often choose their destination country en route, influenced by various factors. There may be many reasons why they end up in the Netherlands, including information from acquaintances, advice from human smugglers, or friendships formed during their journey with others heading to the Netherlands. Strict asylum policies in countries like Denmark also affect their choice of the Netherlands. Half of the young asylum seekers are from Syria, drawn to the Netherlands for its reputation as a safe society with guaranteed human rights and future prospects for youth. Additionally, they often have extensive social networks within the country. "Syrians are more likely to be highly educated and have more access to knowledge about escape routes and networks that they share via social media," said researcher Isik Kulu-Glasgow. Since 2019, there's been an increase in unaccompanied minors arriving in the Netherlands and across Europe. Often, parents send their eldest child, who can withstand the tough journey, ahead when they cannot afford to flee with the entire family, while the father stays behind to care for the remaining family members. According to previous IND research, 80 percent of unaccompanied minors who are allowed to stay in the Netherlands apply for family reunification. But family reunification is not always the primary objective; sometimes, children are sent away for their safety. Youths restricted by religious or conservative norms are also more likely to decide to leave on their own. The Ministry of Justice and Security recently expressed serious concern about the ongoing shortage of shelter spaces for unaccompanied minors. In a letter to the Tweed Kamer, they noted that as of October 30, 290 minors were housed in Ter Apel, exceeding its maximum capacity of 55. The facility struggles to provide adequate guidance when over 120 youths are present. The influx is expected to remain high next year. A shooting at a university in the center of Prague has left several people dead and dozens wounded, according to local police. The exact number of fatalities was not immediately clear, but authorities said the shooter has been “eliminated” after the massacre. The entire area around Jan Palach Square has been cordoned off as first responders work to help the victims at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts. “Based on initial information, we can confirm that there are dead and injured people at the scene,” police said in a statement on X. “We urge citizens not to stay in the immediate vicinity and not to leave the house.” Footage from the scene showed students fleeing the building with their hands raised in the air. University employees were warned that the shooter might be moving around the building, one eyewitness told Radio Liberty. Police have not yet released a description of the shooter, and it’s unclear what the motive could be.
The European Union has reached agreement on new rules designed to share out the cost and work of hosting migrants more evenly and to limit the numbers of people coming in.
Representatives of the European Parliament and of EU governments reached an accord after all-night talks on EU laws collectively called the New Pact on Migration and Asylum that should take effect next year. The laws cover screening irregular migrants when they arrive in the European Union, procedures for handling asylum applications, rules on determining which EU country is responsible for handling applications and ways to handle crises. Migrant arrivals in the European Union are way down from the 2015 peak of more than 1 million, but have steadily crept up from a 2020 low to 255,000 in the year to November, with more than half crossing the Mediterranean from Africa to Italy or Malta. Previous efforts to share out the responsibility of hosting migrants have foundered because eastern EU members in particular were unwilling to take in people who had arrived in Greece, Italy and other countries. Under the new system, countries not at the border will have a choice between accepting refugees or paying into an EU fund. The screening system envisaged will seek to distinguish between those in need of international protection and others who are not. People whose asylum applications have a low chance of success, such as those from India, Tunisia or Turkey, can be prevented from entering the EU and detained at the border, as can people seen as representing a threat to security. Refugee rights groups have said it will create what amounts to prison camps at the EU's borders. Germany welcomed the deal, saying it would ensure the new asylum system is implemented in a "fair, orderly" manner."The agreement on a common European asylum system was urgently needed and long overdue," said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. |
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