Latest news with #Suica
Morocco World
6 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
EU, Morocco Bolster Migration and Border Cooperation
Rabat — The European Commission and Morocco are in discussions to formalize a new partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation on migration management and border control, European officials confirmed this week. The European Commission said it is working with Rabat to 'deepen' their bilateral relationship through an agreement modeled on existing deals with Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan. These agreements set out commitments on both sides, providing financial and technical support in exchange for stronger border management and cooperation on curbing irregular migration. At a press conference unveiling the EU 's Global Europe instrument, which seeks to double aid to North African countries in the next budget, Dubravka Suica, the EU Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, highlighted Morocco as a priority partner. 'We already have partnerships with many of them and are trying to strengthen them all. Currently, we are collaborating with Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. We are working on deepening our partnership with Morocco and will also begin working with Lebanon,' Suica said. In recent years, the EU signed memoranda of understanding with Tunisia and Egypt during a surge of migrant arrivals in the Central Mediterranean. These agreements form part of the EU's broader strategy to enhance regional stability while managing migration more effectively. According to EU sources cited by Europa Press, Brussels aims to reach a similar agreement with Morocco. However, they noted that talks are still at an early stage, and no specific timeline has been set for finalizing the deal. Against this backdrop, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita met in Brussels on Wednesday with Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission. During their high-level meeting, both sides reaffirmed the depth of the Morocco–EU strategic partnership, describing it as grounded in a shared vision of stability, prosperity, and co-development. They recalled progress in various areas of cooperation, including security, trade, energy transition, and addressing shared challenges such as terrorism, irregular migration, and climate change. Bourita and Kallas exchanged views on regional and international issues, particularly the situations in the Sahel, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They also shared their views on the importance of close coordination to confront current geopolitical challenges in a spirit of shared responsibility and open dialogue. Tags: BouritaBrusselsEuropean Union and MoroccoMorocco EU cooperation
Japan Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan Railway-affiliated Tokyo shopping centers issue warning over point card scam
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 For a while there, 'Everything lasts forever on the internet' looked like it was going to become common sense. However, as time has gone by, we've learned that that's not always true. Online permeance only extends so far as the constancy of server and domain maintenance, which brings us to a little problem involving East Japan Railway Company, or JR East. Like a lot of rail companies in Japan, JR has its fingers in a lot of non-train pies too. For example, if you've spent much time in Tokyo you might have spotted the Atre shopping centers in neighborhoods like Akihabara, Ueno, Shinagawa, and Ebisu. Filled with retail stores, sit-down restaurants, and takeaway food stands, Atre shopping centers are always attached to train stations, because Atre is owned and operated by JR East. Almost every shopping center in Japan has some kind of customer loyalty program, and Atre is no exception. Up until the end of February 2016, shoppers and diners could earn Atre Club points with each purchase and redeem them for gift certificates and other items through the service's website. Some Atre Cards, as the point cards were called, even had a QR code on the back that you could scan to access the site more easily. Atre Club has since been folded into JR East's broader JRE Point program, with all Atre Club points being transferred over. The old Atre Cards are still usable, too. Show it when making purchases at Atre, and the points will go right into your JRE Point total. JR and Atre have put out a warning, though, that while the old Atre Cards themselves are still good, using their QR codes could result in something very, very bad. Image: Atre Why? Because after JR shut down the Atre Club Point program, they also shuttered its website, and eventually abandoned control of its domain, Scanning the QR code on the back of the Atre Card, though, will still try to access it, which is a problem because the domain has since been acquired by scam artists, and the website is unsafe to use, presumably due to malware, phishing prompts, or other aspects targeting users' data privacy and financial security. The problem came to light last week and affects Atre Cards issued between October of 2013 and February of 2016. Atre put out a statement cautioning cardholders to not scan their QR codes or access reminding them that their loyalty program accounts are now managed through the JRE Point website. In a follow-up, Atre said that as of July 1 the scam site is no longer accessible, but continued avoidance of scanning the QR code or visiting is recommended. Source: Atre, J-Cast News via Yahoo! Japan News Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- East Japan Railways phasing out magnetic paper tickets, seven other rail operators will too -- Japan's tap-to-pay Suica train card system aims to go tapless with walk-through gates, location data scans -- Sales of Japan's most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely External Link © SoraNews24
NHK
01-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
JR East `Suica' to go beyond touch payment
The rail operator's travel card was revolutionary in 2001. But JR East's president says the `Suica' system will have to offer more as it faces competition from other payment apps.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
EU official says €175 million Syria recovery package 'clear message' of support
Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday (June 5, 2025) that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. Ms. Suica announced the package in Damascus on Wednesday (June 4, 2025), saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's economy, support its institutions and promote human rights. "I came here... with a clear message that we are here to assist and help Syria on its recovery," Ms. Suica told AFP in an interview on Thursday (June 5, 2025). "We want that reconstruction and recovery will be Syria-owned and Syria-led," she said, on the first visit by an EU commissioner since a transitional government was unveiled in late March. "We want to see Syria to be a regular, normal, democratic country in the future," she added. Syria has been navigating a delicate transition since Islamist-led forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. The European Union announced last month it would lift economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help its recovery. "This is a pivotal moment — a new chapter in EU-Syria relations," Ms. Suica said on X, calling her meeting with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa "constructive". Like Syria's neighbours, Western governments are keen to steer it onto the road to stability after the war triggered an exodus of millions of refugees. Refugee returns should be "safe, voluntary and dignified", Ms. Suica said. The EU has not designated Syria as a safe country for returns "because we don't want to push people to come here and then they don't have a home", she said. The EU last month sanctioned three Syrian militia groups and two of their leaders for serious human rights abuses over their alleged involvement in sectarian massacres in the costal heartland of the Alawite minority, to which Assad belongs, in March. "We cannot pronounce one part of Syria safe and another not," Ms. Suica said, noting that designating Syria a safe country needs "unanimity among 27 European member states". She said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani would attend a ministerial meeting involving almost a dozen Mediterranean countries in Brussels on June 23. A statement released on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) said that the European Commission was "actively pursuing the integration of Syria into several key initiatives with its Mediterranean partner countries". "We want to see Syria united" and inclusive, Ms. Suica told AFP. "This is a process. It will happen step by step."
The Sun
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
EU official says 175 mn euro Syria recovery package ‘clear message' of support
DAMASCUS: Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a 'clear message' of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's economy, support its institutions and promote human rights. 'I came here... with a clear message that we are here to assist and help Syria on its recovery,' Suica told AFP in an interview on Thursday. 'We want that reconstruction and recovery will be Syria-owned and Syria-led,' she said, on the first visit by an EU commissioner since a transitional government was unveiled in late March. 'We want to see Syria to be a regular, normal, democratic country in the future,' she added. Syria has been navigating a delicate transition since Islamist-led forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. The European Union announced last month it would lift economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help its recovery. 'This is a pivotal moment -- a new chapter in EU-Syria relations,' Suica said on X, calling her meeting with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa 'constructive'. Like Syria's neighbours, Western governments are keen to steer it onto the road to stability after the war triggered an exodus of millions of refugees. Refugee returns should be 'safe, voluntary and dignified', Suica said. The EU has not designated Syria as a safe country for returns 'because we don't want to push people to come here and then they don't have a home', she said. The EU last month sanctioned three Syrian militia groups and two of their leaders for serious human rights abuses over their alleged involvement in sectarian massacres in the costal heartland of the Alawite minority, to which Assad belongs, in March. 'We cannot pronounce one part of Syria safe and another not,' Suica said, noting that designating Syria a safe country needs 'unanimity among 27 European member states'. She said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani would attend a ministerial meeting involving almost a dozen Mediterranean countries in Brussels on June 23. A statement released on Wednesday said that the European Commission was 'actively pursuing the integration of Syria into several key initiatives with its Mediterranean partner countries'. 'We want to see Syria united' and inclusive, Suica told AFP. 'This is a process. It will happen step by step.'
