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Irish Daily Mirror
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Taoiseach says Europe's inability to put pressure on Israel 'incomprehensible'
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that it is 'incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to put pressure and leverage on Israel to stop this war in Gaza'. He also suggested that Europe needed to follow other countries' steps to sanction individual ministers, noting that the UK, Norway and Canada had further sanctions against settlers in the West Bank and against Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. He made the comments ahead of an EU Council Meeting in Brussels on Thursday, where it was expected that some countries would block Ireland's attempts to sanction Israel. Mr Martin said that there must be European action to try and stop the war. He said: 'The people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to put pressure on Israel and leverage on Israel to stop this war in Gaza, to stop the continuing slaughter of children and innocent civilians. 'The war must stop. There must be a humanitarian response and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, an end to the blockade. 'I understand there are historical reasons why some member states have a particular perspective on this, in terms of the Middle East issue. 'But from a humanitarian perspective, it is incomprehensible what is going on, what continues to go on and Europe needs to really articulate that in the strongest possible way. We will be seeking to pursue mechanisms to ensure that this war stops and that humanitarian aid gets in urgently to Gaza.' Mr Martin said he will call on his counterparts to consider the EU-Israel Association Agreement and any further actions that can be taken against Israel. A review of the agreement found indications that Israel had breached human rights obligations contained within the deal. Benjamin Neyenyahu's Government has criticised the Government, with the Taoiseach criticising this in turn. He said: 'Israel needs to stop denouncing every report that comes out using objective criteria to describe the situation in Gaza. 'It's not an outrage, the review. The review, in some respects, is quite, some could argue, a modest document that seeks to objectively present the facts in relation to Gaza, but it avoids emotional language and so on like that. 'I think that that kind of tactic and pattern of undermining those who would even question what's happening in Gaza, that also has to stop. I passionately believe in the reassertion of the United Nations within the Middle East, the primacy of UN agencies. 'The European Union has an association agreement with Israel. Israel should respect all clauses of that agreement, including the Human Rights clauses. 'There are differences of opinion across the European Union table. I acknowledge that. 'But I think there are other areas, for example, the United Kingdom, Norway and other countries, Canada, have now issued further sanctions against settlers in the West Bank and against Israeli ministers, Minister Ben-Gvir and Minister Smotrich. 'These are issues that the European Union should look at, as well as the Association Agreement and aspects of the Association Agreement.' The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Clerical error cost Melton Borough Council £40k in parking cash
A clerical error cost a Leicestershire council about £40,000 in lost car park revenue, it has been Borough Council suspended charges in nine car parks it runs in and around the town in May and covered up payment machines so they could not be authority has not said what the error was but said it happened while it was implementing new said the error had been fixed and charges were set to return from Saturday. A council spokesperson said: "As soon as the error was identified, we moved swiftly to rectify the situation, proactively highlighting the issue and removing all charges during the three-week notice period and prior to the adoption of the new rates."It's estimated the loss of income could be approximately £40,000, but the action taken has ensured residents were not disadvantaged during this period."An extraordinary council meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss the opposition councillor Siggy Atherton said the error had caused "unnecessary confusion" for residents and visitors and placed additional pressure on the authority's called on the council to issue a public statement acknowledging the error, explaining the correction, and clarifying administrative council did not comment on the upcoming meeting.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Incoming City Council president said he felt 'threatened' by another City Councilman
There was a tense moment in a Jacksonville City Council meeting this week. Incoming City Council president Kevin Carrico, said he felt 'threatened' by City Councilman Matt Carlucci and requested that the sergeant at arms remove Carlucci from council chambers. The two were debating a bill that would make some changes to the Downtown Investment Authority. Carrico is the sponsor of that bill. It would enable the DIA to file legislation directly with the council president, thereby sidestepping the Mayor's budget review process. It would also require the DIA's CEO to be confirmed by the council, and gives the council and/or the DIA Board the authority to remove the CEO with a majority vote. Councilman Carlucci is not a member of the special committee on the future of downtown. But he helped put the DIA together. He said the DIA is meant to be independent. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< 'The DIA has its own board,' Carlucci said. 'They hire and then they fire the DIA board, who the executive director or the CEO reports to. That's the way it should stay.' Councilman Carrico said, 'With autonomy comes accountability. It is not a power trip, it's an accountability thing. The likelihood of the council wanting to remove a CEO would be pretty extreme.' In a video from Thursday's meeting, you can see Carlucci get up from his seat and stand near Carrico. That's when Carrico said he felt threatened. Action News Jax asked Carlucci what he was doing by approaching Carrico. Carlucci said, 'I walked up, as I normally do, before I leave a meeting early, and walked over to the chair and to say I'm leaving early. He was engaged in conversation.' We reached out to Councilman Kevin Carrico for an interview. He replied back saying 'no comment'. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Job scams a key issue under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair in 2025, has pledged to take decisive action against transnational job scam syndicates, placing the issue at the forefront of its regional agenda. Malaysia's Foreign Ministry, Wisma Putra, in a statement on Friday said it takes the issue of job scam syndicates seriously. The ministry expressed its sincere appreciation to the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) as well as other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and members of the media, for their continued efforts in drawing attention to the plight of Malaysians who have fallen victim to job scam syndicates across the region. 'Malaysia remains fully committed to working closely with ASEAN counterparts and all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, to strengthen preventive measures, enhance regional collaboration, and ensure protection for all victims,' added the statement. The Foreign Ministry said it has taken concrete steps to raise the matter with fellow ASEAN Member States, including at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi in January and the 29th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit earlier this week. At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat held in Langkawi in January, ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to addressing transnational crimes, including people smuggling, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, and the rising threat of online scams. During the 29th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, Malaysia stressed the urgent need for decisive regional action in tackling cross-border crimes. As a result, ASEAN ministers agreed to review the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime (2016-2025) to strengthen regional coordination and ensure that its successor documents address emerging and evolving criminal threats. In the 46th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN leaders also expressed strong determination to intensify cooperation under the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), with an emphasis on law enforcement collaboration to combat online scams and trafficking in persons.
BusinessToday
25-05-2025
- Politics
- BusinessToday
ASEAN Urged To Tackle Cybercrime Threat With Stronger Legal, Security Cooperation
ASEAN must urgently strengthen regional security cooperation, harmonise legal frameworks and boost information-sharing to counter rising cybercrime and human trafficking threats, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said. Delivering his opening remarks at the 29th ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, Mohamad highlighted the growing scale and severity of cybercrime syndicates that have preyed on thousands across the region. 'Countless ASEAN citizens have been deceived and trafficked into forced labour at scam centres. These operations rob victims of their dignity and savings, while eroding the economies of ASEAN states,' he warned. He shared that despite ASEAN's recent efforts to dismantle cybercrime networks, syndicates have shown a disturbing ability to regroup and relocate, exploiting gaps in enforcement and cross-border legal coordination. As the region faces an evolving security landscape shaped by geopolitical rivalry, digital vulnerabilities and economic instability, Mohamad stressed that ASEAN's response must evolve. 'We must enhance the resilience of our digital infrastructure and safeguard cyberspace. The pace of technological advancement demands proactive, collective action,' he said. The meeting also served as a platform to review progress under the APSC Blueprint 2025, which is in its final implementation phase. The findings from this review will inform the development of the APSC Strategic Plan 2045, a long-term roadmap aligned with the upcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045. Mohamad praised the progress made since the last APSC Council meeting in Vientiane in 2024, noting that sectoral efforts have significantly contributed to community-building and regional integration. 'The Strategic Plan 2045 will serve as ASEAN's political-security compass over the next two decades — one anchored in peace, resilience and people-centred values,' he said. Related
