https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/exclusive:-fbi-responsible-for-detention-of-venezuelan-crew

Exclusive: FBI behind seizure of Venezuelan plane in Argentina

More than twelve weeks after Boeing 747-300M cargo was seized in Argentina on US orders, Al Mayadeen Espanol interviewed two of its detained crew members, in addition to the director of the Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo del Sur, S.A. (EMTRASUR), a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, S.A (CONVIASA), a Venezuelan state-owned company.

The incident got so little media attention despite the fact that Argentinian authorities detained 19 crew members at a Buenos Aires airport since it arrived on June 8, simply carrying a shipment of auto parts.

A flashback

A Boeing 747-300M cargo was detained in Argentina in June. At the time, the Argentinian Security Minister said that a Boeing 747 “owned by Mahan Airlines” and leased to Venezuela was detained and its five Iranian crew members had their passports confiscated.

The airplane was transporting automobile parts, and no contraband or suspicious cargo was found during the search.

Two months later, Washington asked Argentina to seize the Venezuelan cargo plane that has been parked since June on its soil and is linked to the US sanctions against Iran.

The case file stated that the plane was under the control of Venezuela's Emtrasur, which allowed "the re-export of the aircraft between Caracas, Venezuela, Tehran, Iran, and Moscow, Russia, without the permission of the US government."

On that note, Iran's Mahan Airlines refuted news being reported on the seizing of one of its planes in Argentina, stressing that the airplane in question is owned by Venezuela.

IRNA news agency reported, quoting Mahan's public relations bureau that the aircraft that was seized in Venezuela had nothing to do with Mahan Airlines.

It is worth noting that the Boeing 747 was sold to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of the Venezuelan company Conviasa, by an Iranian company, Mahan Air, in October 2021. The two countries have signed a 20-year cooperation plan as a way to overcome the sanctions imposed against them by the US.

Both the previous Iranian owner of the Boeing 747 as well as the Venezuelan owner of the plane have been sanctioned by the US for different reasons. The US Department of Justice used this pretext to justify its request from Argentina to confiscate the plane.

On his account, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pushed for the return of the Boeing 747-300M transport aircraft detained in Argentina.

"Now they intend to steal our plane, as they stole our gold in London, as they stole from us [oil refinery in the United States] Citgo, steal a plane belonging to Venezuela … We declare our protest that the Venezuelan plane be returned to us," Maduro said on the VTV channel.

“FBI to account for the detention of the flight crew”

In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen Espanol, Mario Araga, one of the detained crew members, appeared to express his shock after discovering that the FBI is accountable for his detention, wondering if Argentina lacks its proper governmental investigative body.

Araga went on to say, “I know it exists and is operational but is there not a device that responds to the questions and inquiries that we have?"

“We are supposed to present about 132 Testimonial and Documentary evidence, “he added.

He described what is happening as a display of mad tactics to desperately seeking a thread of accusation against any one of the detainees even if they don’t find any.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing”, he tersely stated, reassuring that there is no evidence against the plane's crew members.

He recalled that at one point they were informed that the United States was on the front lines and behind what was going on with them.

“Today there is an order issued by the court of a federal judge in Florida ordering the confiscation, that is, the seizure, of our plane… However, the Public Prosecutor approved the Florida court's decision… As a result, the plane is now in the hands of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America," he concluded.

Inch closer to a return home

Mohammad Khosravi Aragh, an Iranian mechanical engineer and crew member, confidently assured that "all legal stages will be carried out in the best way possible so that we and our Venezuelan colleagues can return to our country."

“We are doing well. We are ok. Thank you very much for your interest in our cause,” he cheerfully concluded.

Part 1

>>17454849

Friends in detention

Despite this horrendous ordeal, the Venezuelan crew members built a good and brotherly relationship with the Iranian crew members, most notably with plane Captain Gholam Reza Qasmi, the director of the Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo Del Sur, S.A. (EMTRASUR) divulged to Al Mayadeen Espanol.

"Our experience working with the Iranian crew members has been pleasing, and for me, Captain Qasmi is an amazing man, with a great personality,” he said.

“Captain Qasmi is a peaceful person, and yet further lies are woven about him," he added.

Ruled by US orders

The last time another country acted on US orders to seize Iranian cargo was when Greece seized an oil tanker sailing under an Iranian flag on May 26, even though Iran is not under EU sanctions.

The crew was kept on board and Iranian diplomats were prevented from visiting the ship until Iran's ambassador to Athens was allowed to check on the crew. This was only after Iran retaliated against the theft of its cargo, by the seizure of two Greek tankers in the Gulf.

The ordeal ended on June 14, two days after the Venezuelan cargo was detained in Argentina when the Athenian authorities released the Iranian oil tanker detained by Greek court order.

At the time, The Greek court ordered the return of the detained oil tanker and its cargo to the owner, and Athens carried out the order, the PMO added.

Part 2 - End

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/china-on-high-alert-after-us-navy-warships-pass-through-taiw

China on high alert after US Navy warships pass through Taiwan strait

A spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Shi Yi, said on Sunday that the Chinese armed forces are on high alert to halt any provocations after the US Navy cruisers went through the Taiwan Strait.

"The US Navy cruisers Chancellorsville and Antietam made the passage through the Taiwan Strait on August 28, causing widespread attention. The PLA Eastern Theater Command escorted the US cruisers and exercised full control over their activities. Command units are on heightened alert to stop any provocations in a timely manner," the spokesman said in a statement on WeChat.

Earlier in the day, two US Navy ships passed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the US-China tensions escalated in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, reported Reuters, citing three US officials.

The guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville set sail on Sunday "through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," according to the US 7th Fleet in Japan.

In a statement, the US Navy claimed that the transit "demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

" The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows," it added.

US pokes China with provocative visits to Taiwan

Moreover, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that China strongly opposes a US lawmaker's visit to Taiwan.

Amid high tensions with China, Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn is on a visit to Taiwan from August 25 to 27, as per Xinhua.

Responding to a media query, the spokesperson stated that the US legislator's visit to Taiwan violates the One-China policy and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, as well as the US commitment to maintain only non-official ties with Taiwan.

This comes after a US congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in Taipei said in a statement. The delegation visited Taiwan after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island.

Days after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the island, which heightened tensions between the two countries, China reportedly conducted new military drills surrounding Taiwan.

China announced that it will no longer work with the United States on a number of areas, including climate change, drug policy, and military negotiations, as a result of Pelosi's visit.

Only weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's inflammatory trip, a group of US legislators visited the island again and spoke with Taipei's leader. In reaction, China launched new military exercises around Taiwan.

Beijing dispatched warships, missiles, and fighter jets into the waters and sky surrounding Taiwan during the two-day covert visit.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/deal-between-serbia-and-kosovo-reached

Deal between Serbia and Kosovo reached

Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement on "freedom of movement" following weeks of tensions, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Saturday. He announced the deal between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti.

In a statement following their meeting last week in Brussels and "intense follow-up efforts in Pristina and Belgrade," Borrell revealed that Serbia and Kosovo both agreed to forgo the introduction of entrance and exit documents for holders of Kosovo IDs.

Both Serbs and Kosovo residents living in the northern part of the breakaway province will be able to freely move between Serbia and Kosovo using their existing ID cards, said the statement, adding that the EU had "received guarantees from Prime Minister Kurti."

Borrell then praised the development by saying that “we found a European solution that facilitates travel between Kosovo and Serbia.” He also lauded Vucic’s actions by saying that the Serbian president “showed responsibility and leadership today.” The senior EU diplomat also thanked the US “for their support to the EU-facilitated dialogue,” calling it “an example of excellent practical EU-US cooperation.”

He admitted that “the problem with the license plates” had not yet been resolved and called on the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to “continue showing pragmatism and constructiveness” in this regard as well. Still, he said that “today is a very good day.”

Yet Belgrade didn't seem to be feeling as happy as Brussels. Vucic described the negotiations with "Albanians from Kosovo" as "very unsuccessful, terribly difficult," adding that "in the end we came to the point that we do not agree on anything." Vucic was speaking to Serbian citizens on Saturday.

Mutual recognition is off the table

The Serbian leader insisted that “mutual recognition” will never be on the agenda as Belgrade “cannot forget that Kosovo is part of Serbia.” He also said that officials in Brussels are wasting their time and money if they think they would be able to facilitate such an agreement.

When it comes to travel, Vucic did confirm that Serbia will recognize the IDs from Kosovo, but only "for practical reasons" in order to "enable freedom of movement". This action "cannot be interpreted as recognition of Kosovo's unilateral proclamation of independence, nor does it prejudice sovereignty," he continued.

What is important is that “Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija can move and enter and leave the territory of Kosovo and Metohija freely,” Vucic said, adding that Belgrade is asking “for guarantees from EU, we ask that every Serb from the north of Kosovo and Metohija can enter the territory of Kosovo and Metohija with Serbian documents, and that they can leave whenever they want.”

The news broke a day after Gabriel Escobar, the US envoy for the Balkans, urged Serbia to recognize Kosovo and offered the two countries prosperity in the EU as a substitute. In response, Vucic stated that he was not shocked to get such a request from a US envoy.

“Don’t forget that he represents American politics. What do you expect from him, what news is this for you?!” the Serbian president said on Saturday, adding that “they [the US] tell us this for 23 years!”

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/mossad-chief-to-meet-us-officials-on-iranian-nuclear-deal-in

Mossad chief to meet US officials on Iranian nuclear deal in September

The head of "Israel's" Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, will visit the United States in early September for talks on the possible revival of the Iran nuclear deal, an official confirmed Sunday.

The announced visit is the latest in the Israeli occupation's attempts to sway Western powers from an agreement to return to the landmark 2015 deal with Tehran.

Mossad chief David Barnea will "be visiting Washington in a week to participate in closed door meetings in Congress on the Iran deal," a senior Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, without providing further details.

According to the Times of Israel, "Barnea will be the third senior Israeli official to visit Washington in recent days to discuss the Iran deal," after Security Minister Benny Gantz and National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata.

Last Thursday, Barnea told reporters that the Iranian nuclear deal was “very bad for Israel” and “based on lies."

Following the remarks, Israeli media reported Thursday that Lapid's office was surprised by Barnea's criticism of US President Joe Biden's administration and demanded clarification.

According to the Israeli news website Walla!, Barnea is the side pushing for the most extreme line on the Iranian nuclear deal within the Israeli occupation government.

Lapid: This is not what Biden signed in "Jerusalem Declaration"

Earlier Sunday, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid told journalists in a briefing at his office in occupied Al-Quds that "Israel's" diplomatic fight against the nuclear deal included its National Security Advisor and Security Minister holding recent meetings in the United States.

"We are making a concerted effort to ensure the Americans and Europeans understand the dangers involved in this agreement," Lapid said.

According to the Israeli occupation Prime Minister, "This agreement is a bad one. It was not good when it was signed in 2015. Today the dangers inherent in it are even greater. It is closer to its end date, and Iran is in a different place technologically,"

"This is not what [Biden] talked about during his visit to Israel, this is not what he signed in the Jerusalem Declaration,” Lapid told reporters.

According to Lapid, a new agreement would have to include an expiration date and tighter supervision that would also "address Iran's ballistic missile program" and its alleged "involvement in terrorism throughout the Middle East."

"We can reach such an agreement if a credible military threat is put on the table, if the Iranians realise that their defiance and deceit will exact a heavy price," Lapid claimed, adding that the Israeli occupation army and Mossad had "received instructions from us to prepare for any scenario."

He claimed that this threat is "what forced the Iranians to sign last time."

“We must not get to the situation we were in 2015. To this day, we are paying for the damage caused by Netanyahu’s speech in Congress, following which the US administration ended its dialogue with us and did not allow Israel to make amendments to the agreement,” Lapid indicated.

The Times of Israel cited a source close to the matter as saying that the Israeli occupation is pressing Washington to issue such a threat.

"A credible military threat is what we think will lead to a good deal. This is the language that Iran understands," the Israeli news website quoted a senior Israeli government official as saying.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/western-imposed-order-provides-for-a-racist-division-of-worl

Western-imposed order provides for a racist division of world: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov considered on Saturday that the Western-imposed "rules-based order" provides a racist division of the world.

In a video address to the fifth Global Young Diplomats Forum, the Russian Foreign Minister reiterated Russia’s adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and stressed that Moscow had consistently supported the cultural diversity of peoples and their right to determine their own path.

"We categorically reject the neocolonial rules-based order’ being imposed by the US-led West," Lavrov said, explaining that "This order provides for a racist division of the world into a privileged group of countries who a priori have the right of any action and the rest of the world, obliged to follow the tracks of thisgolden billion’ and service their interests."

The top Russian diplomat highlighted that his country has been expanding and deepening "fruitful cooperation with the overwhelming majority of members of the global community who represent more than 80% of the planet’s population."

Lavrov considered that ambitions by individual countries to solve their issues at the expense of others have never yielded fruit, adding that these "destructive policies" are doomed to fail.

The Russian Foreign Minister indicated that powerful and independent players in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have been pursuing a nationally oriented foreign policy and have achieved impressive results in various fields.

According to Lavrov, "there is currently objective multipolarity, and this geopolitical reality cannot be ignored."

West desire for unipolar world caused geopolitical crisis: Lavrov

It is noteworthy that during his visit to Ethiopia in late July, Lavrov pointed out that African states fully understand the reason behind the current geopolitical crisis, which is the Western attempt to establish a unipolar world.

The top Russian diplomat told a press conference after meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart, Demeke Mekonnen, that "Our African colleagues perfectly understand the root cause of what is happening, which is the collective West’s attempt to slow down the objective historical process, the formation of a just, democratic order, and cling to the elusive prospect of the so-called unipolar world."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-intelligence-to-evaluate-security-risks-of-mar-a-lago-doc

US intelligence to evaluate security risks of Mar-a-Lago documents

The Director of the US National Intelligence, Avril Haines, told lawmakers in a letter sent Friday that intelligence officials plan to evaluate the natural security risks of the top secret documents obtained at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, Axios reported.

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released a redacted version of the affidavit that led to the FBI's raid on Trump's residence on August 8.

The unsealed document revealed that the boxes obtained at Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago had a mix of confidential, secret, and top secret documents.

According to Politico, Haines said in a letter to House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney and House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff that her office plans to investigate "the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents."

"The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) are working together to facilitate a classification review of relevant materials, including those recovered during the search," Haines wrote in her letter, reported Politico.

The Director of National Intelligence mentioned in the letter that the investigation will "not unduly interfere with DOJ’s ongoing criminal investigation."

In a statement sent to Axios, Maloney and Schiff indicated that "We are pleased that in response to our inquiry, Director Haines has confirmed that the Intelligence Community and Department of Justice are assessing the damage caused by the improper storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago."

"The DOJ affidavit, partially unsealed yesterday, affirms our grave concern that among the documents stored at Mar-a-Lago were those that could endanger human sources. It is critical that the IC move swiftly to assess and, if necessary, to mitigate the damage done — a process that should proceed in parallel with DOJ’s criminal investigation,” said Maloney and Schiff.

The affidavit released on Friday revealed the contents of 14 of the 15 boxes recovered by the National Archives and Record Administration in January.

According to Axios, "The boxes contained 184 documents, 67 of which were confidential, 92 marked as secret, and 25 marked as top secret."

The US Department of Justice pointed out in the affidavit that "there is probable cause to believe that additional documents that contain classified NDI [national defense information] or that are Presidential records subject to record retention requirements currently remain at the PREMISES."

Trump sues FBI over Mar-a-Lago raid

It is noteworthy that Trump is taking the US government to court over the FBI's raid and search of his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Trump aims to initiate this bid to stop the federal agency from delving into the material seized from him until a special court official can be appointed to review the documents in question.

"The suit argues that the court should appoint a special master – usually a retired lawyer or judge – because the FBI potentially seized privileged materials in its search and the Department of Justice (DoJ) should not itself decide what it can use in its investigation," Trump's lead attorney told The Guardian on Saturday regarding the suit issued on Monday.

Trump is facing a criminal investigation over potential violations of the Espionage Act and additional statutes relating to obstruction of justice, as well as the destruction of federal government records, according to the search warrant executed by FBI agents at the former President's home.

The violation of the Espionage Act has a possible punishment of 10 years in federal prison, the statute for obstruction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and the statute for the destruction of records carries a potential lifetime ban on holding public office.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-investigates-fake-heiress-who-infiltrated-trumps-mar-a-la

US investigates fake heiress who infiltrated Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort

Fears over security vulnerabilities during and after Donald Trump's presidency have increased as US authorities look into the entrance of a second foreign national to Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club, which is the focus of an FBI investigation into missing confidential materials.

An article from the Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) claims that a Ukrainian woman who entered the private members club under false pretenses and pretended to be a member of the Rothschild banking dynasty is currently being investigated by the bureau.

At Mar-a-Lago functions, Inna Yashchyshyn allegedly pretended to be a Rothschild heiress while mingling with Donald Trump, US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and other guests.

According to the Pittsburgh Gazette and OCCRP, Yashchyshyn had shown "how easily someone with a phony identity and dark history" could slip past Trump's club security.

The daughter of an Illinois truck driver, Yashchyshyn claimed to be a Rothschild heiress while serving as president of United Hearts of Mercy, which was established in Canada in 2015 by Russian businessman Valery Tarasenko of Florida.

The FBI secured a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago earlier this month as part of a criminal investigation into the improper retention of government secrets by Trump and his advisers, who refused to surrender the allegedly mishandled documents despite repeated demands.

The football

This major security blunder brought to the minds of many a unique occurrence during Trump's presidency: A guest who took a photo of Trump and then-Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe then took a selfie with a military aide holding the black leather satchel known as "the football," which contained the nuclear strike codes.

“It’s unheard of,” a deputy national security adviser to Joe Biden in the Barack Obama administration said at the time. “These people operate behind the scenes. I don’t think this team has any appreciation about the vulnerabilities they are creating for themselves and how dangerous this is.”

At the time, Sean Spicer, the press secretary for the Trump administration, stated that no classified material was discussed and that the leaders' discussions were instead centered on the details of the press conferences they would be giving.

A heavily redacted affidavit describing the search's justification provided new information about the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago was released on Friday. It described how agents thought the former president's home might contain highly confidential information about the nation's defense as well as proof of obstruction of justice.

The letter explained how the FBI discovered that Trump had stored classified government information at Mar-a-Lago after reviewing materials he had returned to the National Archives in May 2022.

>> The Football.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/when-pictures-speak-volumes:-awawdeh-facing-death-any-moment

When pictures speak volumes: Awawdeh facing death any moment

The Prisoners Authority published horrific pictures of prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for 6 months now.

His wife and father took pictures of him today, exposing the truth of an ongoing “immoral and inhuman crime against him by the occupation prisons administration, and the Israeli intelligence service that insist on killing him," even if slowly, according to a statement by the Prisoners Authority.

The Authority’s statement added, "These images are more than enough to awaken the conscience of the world that should hold the [Israeli] occupation accountable."

Today, the Prisoners Information Office announced that Awawdeh is continuing his open hunger strike for the 166th day, amid critical health conditions.

Awawdeh’s lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, said 3 days ago that he could die at any moment.

In March, Awawdeh began an open-ended hunger strike to demand his release, knowing that he was arbitrarily arrested as per the Israeli occupation's arbitrary administrative detention policy, and his lawyer said he has only been only drinking water since.

For their part, Egyptian mediators recently called for the release of Awawdeh under a ceasefire agreement that ended the recent 3-day Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The freedom of Awawdeh was one of the clauses of the agreement between Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Israeli occupation after several days of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of Palestinian civilians and wounding hundreds of others.

The head of the political department in the Islamic Jihad Movement, Muhammad Al-Hindi, said on August 7 that "a formula for the Egyptian declaration of the truce agreement has been reached, and it includes Egypt's commitment to work for the release of the two prisoners, Khalil Awawdeh and Bassam Al-Saadi."

>> Prayers needed.

Please research first and read about his case.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/50000-ukrainian-refugees-in-the-uk-could-become-homeless-nex

50,000 Ukrainian refugees in the UK could become homeless next year

A “shocking” 50,000 Ukrainian refugees in the UK could be made homeless next year, the UK government has been warned, but ministers are refusing to offer a fresh package of support to offset the impending crisis.

As the cost of living crisis bites and with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, fears are mounting that the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme will unravel next month when refugees’ initial six-month placements with hosts end without alternative accommodation in place.

Although Boris Johnson has framed the UK’s response to Russia’s operation as a principled triumph, a number of organizations warn that a key response of his government to the conflict’s refugee crisis could prompt a “disastrous rise in homelessness."

A total of 83,900 refugees have arrived under the Homes for Ukraine scheme since it began in March. Refugees were matched with sponsors who agreed to house them for six months and were paid £350 a month.

Not all matches have been successful. Government data reveal that since the war began in February, 1,335 Ukrainian households – including 945 families with children – have registered as homeless.

That figure is set to soar from next month. Analysis by children’s charity Barnardo’s, Labour and the Liberal Democrats say that, based on feedback from refugee sponsors, between 15,000 and 21,000 Ukrainians could be homeless by the winter, rising to more than 50,000 by the middle of next year.

One group, Refugees at Home, said the figure could be even higher because of a combination of pressures, including energy bills, soaring inflation, and climbing interest rates.

Shadow Leveling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “These shocking numbers reveal the scale of the crisis about to hit refugee families who came to Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.”

When Leveling Up secretary Michael Gove unveiled the scheme in March, Nandy asked in parliament what plans were in place for when sponsorships broke down, but she did not receive an answer. When the government was asked by The Observer on Saturday for the projected rates of homelessness among Ukrainian refugees, it declined to offer a figure.

James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, which represents more than 330 councils in England, warned that even if Ukrainians could find a new host in the event the original sponsorship did not work out, grave issues lay ahead. “There is a significant risk that – even if rematching is available – many Ukrainian families may need to present as homeless because of a lack of sponsors or other options,” he said.

Last week, refugees minister Lord Harrington said monthly payments to UK hosts should double after six months to £700 a month to offset the cost of living concerns. But Harrington has no authority to implement the rise, and so far the Treasury has refused. The government is now asking existing hosts to allow Ukrainians to stay for longer than six months and is appealing for new sponsors.

For many, the six-month period will expire in mid-September, with a significant proportion of hosts saying that without extra government help, they will have to pull out. Several are warning that attracting new hosts will be considerably harder.

Stanislav Beneš of charity Opora, which has helped about 8,000 Ukrainians into the UK, said, “The initial wave of sponsors included people who did not quite understand the implications and consequences of this sort of responsibility.”

Although the government said on Saturday that it was “reviewing” the level of support for the scheme, no fresh or improved help is yet on offer.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said, “It’s vital that the government steps forward to offer more support. Ukrainian families have come to our country seeking help and stability and the government needs to act now to ensure that hosts have the financial assistance and support in place to enable them to continue, and prevent a disastrous rise in homelessness.”

Kitty Hamilton of Vigil for Visas said increased support should be offered for three years – the length of visas given to Ukrainian refugees.

“The government’s commitment was for three years, not six months, so there needs to be a longer-term gameplan that doesn’t squander the goodwill of so many. The scheme was offered for an initial six months – the implication was to give the government a chance to make more substantial plans and for the invasion to end. But nothing has happened.”

Part 1

>>17455132

Hamilton belongs to a group of sponsors in Crouch End, London, which manages 400 hosts and is so concerned at the number who might walk away from the scheme after six months that it is meeting with its local MP this week to discuss the issue.

Nandy added, “British households across the country have stepped up, while their government has gone into hiding. No more delays, no more sticking plasters – we need a proper plan to house and support refugees.”

Robina Qureshi, chief executive of Positive Action in Housing, said she was worried about “impending homelessness on a mass scale” when the first six-month period ends.

A government spokesperson said, “Councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head. We’ve provided them with £10,500 per person to cover costs, with access to a rematching service to find a new sponsor in the rare case of a sponsorship breakdown. We have already acted to make sure the £350 thank-you payments are exempt from tax, and continue to monitor and review the support provided.”

They added that they were working closely with councils to ensure Ukrainians have access to suitable housing if they decide to move on.

Part 2 - End

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/british-households-may-need-to-pay-1057-more-for-energy-subs

British households may need to pay $1,057 more for energy subsidies

Britain may have to spend $27 billion more in subsidies if they are going to cover the surging energy bills in the upcoming heating season, according to a report by The Guardian on Wednesday, citing a research paper published by the Institute for Government (IfG).

This statement would entail every British household paying £900 ($1,057.45) more this winter compared to May's estimate.

At this rate, according to the IfG, it is estimated that the subsidies will be jumping to £90 billion ($106 billion) next season.

“Energy prices have risen sharply again in recent weeks and are now expected to stay higher for longer than previously expected. Deciding whether and how to help households and businesses with these costs will be one of the most urgent tasks facing the new government,” Olly Bartrum, an analyst involved in the report, said.

Bartrum noted that the current situation would entail "substantial extra spending" as “even limiting help to the most vulnerable could cost several billion pounds.”

“The government should also do more to encourage greater energy efficiency and reform energy markets to reduce vulnerability to high energy prices if it wants to avoid further expensive support packages in a future likely to be defined by highly volatile energy prices,” Bartrum concluded.

About over a week ago, an NHS chief warned that soaring energy costs will kill more than 10,000 people this winter; a situation the NHS Confederation referred to as a "humanitarian crisis".

"Health leaders are clear that, unless urgent action is taken by the Government, this will cause a public health emergency," said Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation.

Last week, the Daily Express reported that the United Kingdom plans to introduce a system of benefits for people willing to cut down on electricity during the coming fall and winter seasons.

The National Grid energy firm wants consumers to turn off electric appliances, including washing machines and video game consoles, between 5 pm and 8 pm on a daily basis, suggesting paying individuals up to £6 ($7 dollars) per kWh if they reduce their electricity use during the busiest three-hour period.

European energy costs have been rapidly rising in line with a global trend, since 2021. The energy situation deteriorated significantly after the start of the war in Ukraine, as well as the adoption of various sanctions packages against Moscow, causing EU countries to look for alternatives to Russian energy supplies.