Latest news with #Baran
Global News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Saskatchewan reacts to the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a possible end to the Russia – Ukraine war. Over in Saskatchewan, many residents watched and waited for any signs of peace. One of those residents was Tanya Baran. Baran was born in Canada after her grandparents immigrated here after the Second World War. Baran was raised around the strong Ukrainian community in the province, learning how to read, write and speak Ukrainian. When the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, Baran immediately called Lana Nicole Niland to see what they could do to help. Lana Nicole Niland is a Saskatoon woman who has been living in Ukraine since 2003. She is the founder of Ukrainian Patriot, an organization with over 100 volunteers from Canada, the U.S. and Ukraine who support those on the front lines. Story continues below advertisement Ukrainian Patriots deliver food, medical supplies, protective gear and more to the front lines. They also provide PTSD support to those in need as well rehabilitating animals. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's so important that the world doesn't really turn a blind eye to everything that is going on because it would be so easy to do so. I remember living in the west and understanding that there were horrible things happening abroad but thinking I couldn't do anything about it, and that's not true, actually. Every single day we have the opportunity to do something.' shared Niland. Baran became the medical lead for Ukrainian Patriot, coordinating supplies in Canada and Ukraine. She says she will do whatever she can to support and stand by Ukraine. 'Ukraine is Ukraine and it will always be Ukraine… Peaceful negotiations is Russia leaving,' said Baran. When asked about how she felt about President Trump and Putin's meeting on Friday, Baran shared that she believes meaningful change cannot be made without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the table. 'The negotiations that are happening, they don't involve Ukraine. Where's Zelenskyy? There is no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine present.' expressed Baran. But at the end of it all, Baran shared a message of peace, hope and freedom. 'I just want Ukraine to have its freedom. I want our Saskatchewan Ukrainian community to continue our support. Be enriched in Ukrainian culture and be proud of it.' Story continues below advertisement Watch the video above to find out more.
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First Post
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
'Beyond The Clouds' Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi arrives in Mumbai to finalise new drama 'Elephant Man', an Indo-Iranian project
The emotionally rich drama will be a powerful Indo-Iranian collaboration, co-produced by Aakash & Vega Garg of True Aura Films read more Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, acclaimed for cinematic gems like Children of Heaven and Baran, has arrived in Mumbai to finalise an upcoming drama project with Shabbir Boxwala, Ajay Shah & Himanshu Gandhi of Kaash Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the banner. & Producer behind the blockbuster hit Shershaah. The emotionally rich drama will be a powerful Indo-Iranian collaboration, co-produced by Aakash & Vega Garg of True Aura Films. The project aims to blend Majidi's globally celebrated humanist storytelling with the heart and soul of Indian cinema. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pre-production meetings are in full swing, with key discussions underway to finalise the script, casting, and schedule. The project is expected to go on floors later this year. This landmark collaboration marks a cultural and creative synergy that has already generated buzz in both Indian and international film circles. An official announcement is expected shortly. Majid Majidi's Beyond The Clouds starred Ishaan Khatter and Malvika Mohanan. Talking about this film, Ishaan Khatter was quoted saying during the release of the film, 'I would like to challenge the thought that newcomers should start their career with a mainstream film. Sometimes that's all one has as an opportunity. So I don't want to be sitting here and telling that I made this choice and did something incredible by going against the grain. That is not true. This is the film that came to me and it chose me. He added, 'I wasn't in a position where I could choose a Majid Majidi film and I am elated to be part of it in any capacity. I had an opportunity to audition for the lead part and he was happy with it and said to lock it. Soon after, I completely surrendered to him.'
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'I'm British but I can't live in my own country with my partner'
The UK government is facing calls to scrap an immigration policy which puts "untold stress" on British citizens who choose to marry or cohabit with someone from and settled residents wanting to sponsor their partner's visa application must earn a minimum income of £29,000 or have savings of £88, in Bristol and Stroud are urging the government to scrap the requirement which was brought in by the Conservatives to curb migration."What the government does next will make or break many families who just want to be together," said Caroline Coombs of the campaign group Reunite Families UK.A Home Office spokesperson said the minimum income policy "needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability" and it is considering findings from a Migration Advisory Committee review. For Rebecca Gray, 32, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, scrapping the policy would mean she could move back to the UK with her Turkish husband."I don't think people have any idea of how much harm the visa rules cause," she with a UK business but unable to meet the minimum income requirement, she has been living in Turkey for the past four with her husband, Baran, 31, they have been saving to apply for a visa through the savings said: "We're holding off having children because we've been so focused on saving money to get him a visa."Ms Gray said the couple has stronger family ties to the UK as her husband has lost both of his parents."We want to be close to family. Between us, we only have one parent left, that's my mum. "I'm forced to live thousands of miles away from my family if I want to be with my husband."Some countries, like the UK, set a minimum income requirement for a spouse while other countries, like France and the Netherlands, align it to their national minimum wage, the UK sets it at a higher Migration Observatory estimates that roughly half of the UK working population earn under £29,000. 'My kids think I'm the man in the phone' For a large number of applicants, the minimum income policy is not the only financial fees and NHS surcharges can cost more than £7,000 for a five-year route to settlement, excluding any legal fees."It's unfair that only the wealthy can bring their partner here," said Leighton Allen, from Worcester. Mr Allen, 30, works in retail and said he cannot meet the salary threshold to bring his Tanzanian fiancée and his two young children to the said he tries to see them as much as possible, which can be three weeks in a year."All I want is to be a father to my children but I feel that choice is taken away from me. I'm financially supporting them but they don't see me."He added: "They think I'm in the man in the phone."The minimum income requirement was first introduced in 2012 to ensure the British partner or settled resident earned enough to financially support their foreign partner in the UK without resorting to public funds. Last year, the salary threshold increased for the first time, from £18,600 to £29,000. 'I can't come home to care for my parents' Following Brexit and the end of free movement between the UK and EU countries, some British citizens who had been living abroad - like Sarah Douglas - are also finding it hard to return to the UK with their 42-year-old lives in Italy with her husband Matteo and their three wants to move back home to Scotland with her family to be close to her elderly parents, and help care for to follow the minimum income route, Ms Douglas would need to return without her Italian husband and accrue six months of UK payslips to apply for a spouse visa for him. "I could work as a teacher in the UK and my husband is a software engineer who would find work easily. "We're financially stable, we don't rely on any support, but we're able to do that because we're together," she avoid separation, they have been struggling to save £88,500 in order to apply via the savings route."Saving this much money is putting financial strain on us and it's taking years, but we feel it's our only option."She added: "If we were forced to separate, it would have a huge impact on us as a family. I've seen what that does to children and I don't want to put my children through that."A report by children's charity Coram found children in separated families showed signs of stress, anxiety and inability to focus in school. It also said that children living in families affected by the current minimum income requirement were likely to experience exacerbated challenges and poor mental report was commissioned by Reunite Families UK, a not-for-profit representing families affected by the UK family visa co-founder and executive director, Caroline Coombs, said: "We have nearly 6,000 couples and families who are suffering on a daily basis."People feel completely unheard by their own government and they can't understand why they can't be here with their loved ones," she added. Earlier this month, the Home Office said it would examine findings from a Migration Advisory Committee review and issue a response in due experts suggested lowering the current threshold and gave a number of possible said, for example, lowering it to £24,000 would help ease family reunification and increase net migration by roughly 1-3%.A Home Office spokesperson said: "We understand the Minimum Income Requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review."We are now considering its findings and will respond in due course." Migration is 'too high' Conservative MP for Kent, Katie Lam, who is opposition assistant whip, defended an increase in the minimum income requirement."Migration has been far too high for the last two decades and remains so," she said."The public has consistently asked successive governments to lower migration. "The last (Conservative) government promised to do exactly this, but like the governments before it, it did not deliver it."At a parliamentary debate about the family visa income requirement in January, she said: "The question is not should British citizens be able to bring their foreign spouses to the UK. "The question is, does it benefit the country as a whole for British citizens on lower salaries to bring foreign spouses here who are unable to get a visa any other way?"But co-leader of the Green Party and Bristol Central MP, Carla Denyer, who has called the minimum income requirement a 'tax on love', - and wants it scrapped."The Home Office is failing not just people who are moving to the UK but British people who already live here and just want to enjoy family life in peace," she said. "The minimum income requirement puts untold stress on couples and families and it should be scrapped entirely."Family doctor and Labour MP for Stroud, Simon Opher, sponsored an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament last week which showcased the human impact of the family visa rules. "We're splitting up people who love each other, splitting families who are the bedrock of our society, and I think it's the wrong policy," he said.
Rudaw Net
08-06-2025
- 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.
