Protecting Children in Armed Conflicts

HRWF

In 2022, a total of 2,496 children, some as young as 8-years-old, were verified by the United Nations as detained for their actual or alleged association with armed groups, including groups designated as terrorists by the U.N. The highest numbers were recorded in Iraq, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Syrian Arab Republi, writes…

Europe Must Defend its Values at Home and Abroad

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Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash The past two months have been a troubling and difficult time for Europe. While the war in Ukraine continues to raise concerns about the continent’s security, our attention has been divided by the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East. While both issues are hitting international headlines, on…

Growing role for Social Media in News

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Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash A new survey says most people still rely on TV for news but that social media is catching up fast. A dedicated Eurobarometer survey, published by the European Parliament on 17 November, takes an in-depth look at media habits, including trust in different media sources. Some 68% of respondents recall having recently…

Digitalisation of Travel Documents

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Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash The Commission has published the Special Eurobarometer on digitalisation of travel documents and facilitation of travel. The report explores EU citizens’ views and perceptions of travel policies, as well as the introduction and possible use of digital travel credentials. According to the survey, 68% of Europeans consider that digitalisation of travel documents is…

Wealth Tax

Kelly Sikkema

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The Greens/EFA Group has published a new report highlighting the amounts of tax revenue that, it say, European countries could garner through a small tax on the wealthiest 0.5%.  The study,out on Wednesday, finds that even a tax of 1.7-3.5% could bring in as much as €213.3 billion to…

EU Summer 2023 Economic Forecast

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Photo by K8 on Unsplash Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and wider geopolitical tensions continue to pose risks and remain a source of uncertainty, says the EC. Furthermore, monetary tightening may weigh on economic activity more heavily than expected, but could also lead to a faster decline in inflation that would accelerate the restoration of real incomes. By…

Workplace Expectations

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Photo by Daria Pimkina on Unsplash Although 7 out of 10 employees are satisfied with their jobs, the consequences of the global economic crisis and the war for talent are also finding their way into Belgian households. This is evident from a new global study by professional services provider PwC, the ‘PwC Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey’. PwC Belgium also advocates a more inclusive workplace,…

Illegal Abduction of Ukrainian Children by Russia

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Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash The Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers has filed a report taking stock about what it says is the  “deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia from the territories occupied since the beginning of the war.” According to the Adviser-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Children’s Rehabilitation Daria Gerasymchuk, the Ukrainian authorities…

Hong Kong In Steady Decline

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Photo by sarah richer on Unsplash The European Commission and the High Representative have adopted their latest annual reports on political and economic developments in Hong Kong and Macao. The annual report on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region illustrates what the EC calls “the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s high degree of…