Latest news with #Baran
Rudaw Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
German politician slams Berlin's push to tighten migration policies
Also in World Rojava Kurds launch new pro-Kurdish organization in the Netherlands US urges Iran to accept its proposal for nuclear deal EU announces €175 million package to support Syria recovery UN hails 'historic' progress in Ankara-PKK peace talks A+ A- BERLIN - A German politician criticized Berlin's move to tighten migration policies and speed up deportations, and warned against mainstreaming the term 'illegal migration.' 'Until three years ago, there was no term 'illegal migration,'' Volkan Baran, member of the North Rhine-Westphalia parliament from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), told Rudaw in an interview on Wednesday. He said use of the phrase 'illegal migration' has risen with a growth in right-wing politics and called it 'catastrophic.' At the federal level, Baran's SPD is in a governing coalition with the center-right CDU/CSU alliance. The cabinet this week approved new migration measures to tighten asylum laws, including making deportations easier. The new rules must still be approved by the parliament. Baran accused the CDU of unilaterally shaping the coalition government on the issue. 'I don't believe there are illegal people,' he said, while acknowledging that 'of course, there are laws that must be followed.' 'If someone came here and misused the asylum issue, then they must also leave, because those who truly need asylum must be protected,' he said. Baran supports allowing asylum seekers to enter the labor market after three months, warning that making applicants wait up to two years without being able to work or access education could have problematic consequences. 'This makes you crazy, so you radicalize yourself,' he said. Baran voiced strong opposition to deportations to Syria, citing instability and risks to vulnerable populations. After the collapse of the dictatorship in Syria, many refugees are hoping to finally return home. The United Nations estimates some 1.5 million Syrians will choose to go home in 2025. Baran acknowledged that Syrians who choose to return voluntarily should be free to do so, he opposed forced returns, stating, 'I think deportation to Syria is too early at the moment.' 'Especially for minorities, Syria is not safe,' he added. Regarding Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, he said, 'I believe his hands are stained with the blood of many people. Just because he took off his robe and cut his beard, that doesn't make him a democrat or diplomatic in my view.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Romanian EBT theft suspect pleads no contest to all charges
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Romanian man accused with two others of stealing more than $100,000 in EBT funds pleaded no contest Monday to all charges for a court-indicated two-year prison term. The open plea was made over the objection of prosecutor Anthony Yim, who said defendant Alberto-Ionel Baran faced up to 10 years and eight months in prison if convicted at trial. Baran deserves more than two years in custody after he 'massively disrupted the lives' of more than 175 people who couldn't withdraw the benefits they needed, Yim said. In response, defense attorney Victor Nasser noted there are two other defendants charged in the case and the amount the prosecution says was stolen can't be attributed solely to Baran. Judge Gloria Cannon said she took into account Baran's lack of a prior criminal record and his youth — he's 24 — in making her decision. She said she's aware many people were impacted. Sentencing is set for June 3. In November 2024, Baran and two other Romanians — Fernando Stantu and Mari-Mar Milica — were arrested after being found with 48 cloned EBT cards and more than $15,000 in stolen cash, according to prosecutors. A total of seven Romanian nationals have been identified in Kern County for EBT fraud. Click here for more on 17 News' investigation into this widespread fraud that's affecting thousands of people countywide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Leaders and rivals: These Ottawa ridings are ones to watch
Social Sharing Political watchers in the capital will have their eyes fixed on ridings with high-profile candidates, old rivals and at least the possibility of a dramatic turn. Two main party leaders are vying for side-by-side Ottawa seats this election, a manifestation of the mix of federal and local politics to which people who live in the region are well accustomed. Yaroslav Baran, co-founder of Pendulum Group and a former Conservative Party communications lead, calls the local ridings both "interesting and boring." "Unlike many other parts of the country, we've got a high concentration of notable incumbents running," he said. "It's also not a very volatile electoral theatre. In most cases, if not all, we should probably be expecting incumbents to be winning." While few expect major upsets, strategists are interested to see how votes shake out in Carleton, Ottawa Centre, and Kanata. Rural battleground As candidates and volunteers round enter the final days of campaigning, Baran suggests anyone interested in predicting party fortunes look at how resources are deployed. For instance, he expects Conservatives to pull people from ridings where the party won't win "in a million years" — like Liberal stronghold Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester — and shift them to ridings where they might be able to move the needle. "You want to shore up what you've got," he said of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's Carleton riding. Polling there continues to show a Conservative lead, but also suggests the race may be tightening. Canada Votes 2025: Carleton Kathryn LeBlanc, who is principal consultant at LeBlanc and Co Communications and has experience in several roles working for the NDP on Parliament Hill, is likewise glued to the rural riding. Leaders benefit from a huge boost in name recognition, she said. But they are also susceptible to broad national trends, meaning the Conservative downward slide from pre-election polling would have an effect. "I think that his message has gotten across, but it just may not be a message that's resonating," she said, noting that the high proportion of political staff and members of the public service blurs the line in many ridings. "[Ottawa is] a collision of the national contexts and local contexts." Poilievre's team has tried to pour cold water over reports of trouble in the riding. But Greg MacEachern, who has experience working on Liberal campaigns, said insiders "aren't really surprised." The founder of KAN Strategies said Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy proved to be "the Energizer bunny of campaigning," applying pressure to any crack in the Conservative stronghold through an exceptional ground game. When Carleton voters head to the polls on Monday they'll receive the longest ballot ever. The riding also saw the highest turnout in last weekend's advance polling, with Liberal Leader Mark Carney's Nepean riding rounding out the top five. WATCH: Carleton voters weigh in on 2025 election Carleton voters weigh in on 2025 election 1 month ago Duration 0:48 Downtown rematch Before a new Liberal leader and U.S. threats shook up Canadian politics, one downtown Ottawa riding was drawing considerable attention. "The hope was that with declining Liberal fortunes that the party would be able to scoop [Ottawa Centre] back to the NDP federally, which it had held up until 2015 with Paul Dewer," said Jordan Leichnitz, a former senior staffer for the federal New Democrats. The NDP's Joel Harden left his provincial seat for a rematch against Yasir Naqvi, the Liberal candidate who spent part of his last term on a failed provincial leadership bid. Harden's supporters hold up his 2018 Ontario Election win over Naqvi as proof the riding remains winnable even as national support for the party tumbles. "If I was the Harden campaign, that's probably the best thing they have going for them," said MacEachern. "But Yasir Naqvi running under [former Ontario premier] Kathleen Wynn versus Yasir Navi running under Mark Carney are two very different things." While Harden is in an unfamiliar federal arena, Leichnitz said he's brought a motivated base of volunteers. "The Conservatives have no chance in this riding," she said. "[The NDP] will be out making the case that it is safe for people in Ottawa Centre to vote their conscience and they can vote to elect Joel and have a strong NDP voice within a Liberal majority or minority Parliament." Suburban challenger Of all the Liberal incumbents, Baran suggests Kanata is not "in the bag" and Liberals will do "everything they can to hang on to it." Former Liberal cabinet minister Jenna Sudds is facing off against Conservative challenger Greg Kung, a paramedic who holds up his work as an adviser to two Conservative finance ministers: Jim Flaherty and Joe Oliver. "That riding arguably might have been considered safe territory for the Liberals if it were not for the hard work and grit and early start of the Conservative candidate," Baran said. "If we see any riding switch hands from the Liberals to the Conservatives in this election, it will be that one." Kung was one of several Conservatives who got a considerable head start on campaigning, hoping to take advantage of Trudeau's cratering popularity. But MacEachern doesn't believe that will help them now. "Twenty twenty-four was then and this is now," he said. "There's a feeling that the Conservative leader is running as if it's September of 2024 and not April of 2025. So I think any gains that the opposition candidates would have had in those ridings were completely wiped out." Voting day is April 28.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Romanian EBT suspect gets confrontational in courtroom as case faces another setback
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The first case identified by the District Attorney as EBT theft in Kern County has seen the most setbacks in the court system. Alberto-Ionel Baran was pictured in court smiling at the camera, visibly upset by the KGET media presence. On Friday morning, Baran went out of his way to make contact and intimidate our news team, before his attorney told him to stop. A pre preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday, however it was postponed to early May. This is because the court wants to do more research on a request by Baran's attorney for an indicated sentence. An indicated sentence is where a defendant, meaning Baran, would offer to plead guilty to all charges in exchange for a sentence issued directly by the judge. 24-year-old Shafter resident arrested after allegedly fleeing officers, erratic driving: police This usually happens over the prosecution's objection, as the district attorney could believe higher punishment is needed than what the court offers. The court has not yet given an official indicated sentence for this case. Also, there is no plea offer in the works for Mr. Baran. This is the case from November 2024, in which Baran was arrested alongside two other Romanians, Fernando Stantu and Mari-Mar Milica. The three were allegedly found with 48 cloned EBT cards and over $15,000 in stolen cash. Baran is due back in court on May 5. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Romanian accused of EBT fraud appears in court while benefit thefts decrease in March
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — 24-year-old Romanian, Alberto-Ionel Baran is facing five felonies and one misdemeanor including money laundering, grand theft and fraudulent possession of a scanning device. On Tuesday, Baran's case faced another setback in the justice system, scheduling yet another pre-preliminary hearing in his case for late April. The Human Services Department had 426 reimbursement requests for January. In February, there were 504 benefits thefts and in March, there were 204 thefts. The county refused to disclose the dollar amount these thefts resulted in and said it has no record of thefts before 2025. Baran was arrested alongside Fernando Stantu and Mari-Mar Milica at the Bank of America on California Avenue, on Nov. 1, 2024. Kidney donor detained by ICE before life-saving transplant can take place The three Romanians were allegedly fraudulently withdrawing EBT from the ATM, just after 6 a.m. They were found with over $15,000 in stolen cash, 48 cloned cards, and skimming devices. A skimming device is a deep insert that goes into the ATM and clones cards. Stantu and Milica posted bail and never showed up to court. A warrant is out for their arrests. Baran was initially given a $150,000 bail, but was then changed to no bail. He is due back in court on April 25. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
