The Finns Party Joins ECR Group in European Parliament

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Photo by Jorgen Hendriksen on Unsplash The members of the ECR in the European Parliament have decided to accept the application for membership of the Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset) and to admit them to its ranks. The new delegation will be made up of Teuvo Hakkarainen and Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner, who will join the European Parliament in the coming weeks,…

A Tale of Two Cities

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Photo by Anastasiia Rozumna on Unsplash Belfast and Bilbao are capital cities of their regions, Northern Ireland and the Basque country respectively. Both share a proud heritage of shipbuilding over centuries, followed by its decline as the world moved on. Over the last sixty years both also suffered the trauma of armed insurrectionists, fighting to impose their particular…

Human Rights in Armenia

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Photo by Aleksandra Dementeva on Unsplash The News Agency APA reports that the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations has presented a new report on violations of human rights and freedoms in Armenia. The report contains detailed information on cases of violation of human rights and freedoms, ill-treatment of civilians, people detained during demonstrations, and criminal cases against…

EU China Relations

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Photo by Yu Kato on Unsplash A senior MEP says that China supplying weapons to Moscow “would be a slap in Europe’s face.” Reinhard Bütikofer was speaking as Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. The two leaders sent a message of unity – even as China is said by some…

Never Give Up

The Scouts have launched a new “Never Give Up” initiative for its members. A cloth badge, pin and neckerchief can be awarded at the discretion of a local volunteer as an encouragement or ‘well done’ to any Scout or volunteer who’s struggling with something, persevering, or making a particularly strong effort. They can be awarded to any…

Curbing Aviation Carbon Emissions

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Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash The aviation industry is taking a “broad set of actions” to curtail carbon emissions, says the Aerospace Industries Association.  Such action is urgently needed as aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change.  Flying is a highly controversial topic in climate debates and accounts…

Democratic Backsliding

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Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash MEPs have voiced concern about allegations of democratic backsliding in Greece, Spain, and Malta.  They expressed particular concern over press freedom and pluralism, and warn that journalists will continue to be at risk as long as institutions do not prosecute exposed corruption. They also voted on a resolution comprising Parliament’s assessment of…

Putin’s Plan to Destabilise Europe with Russian Criminals

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Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash An army of murderers and rapists: Putin is transferring amnestied criminals to EU countries. The Russian hybrid threat is becoming more and more tangible and closer to the civilised world, the European continent in particular, and is taking on completely new forms and manifestations. It is not just the usual Kremlin threats…

Terrorist State Presides over UN Security Council while Committing Crimes in Ukraine

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Photo by Anastasiia Krutota on Unsplash The last time Russia presided over the UNSC was in February 2022, when it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A year of killings, deportations, torture, bombings has passed and those responsibilities are once again being taken over by a terrorist country. Today, about 20% of Ukraine’s territory is under Russian occupation,…