Latest news with #WesternBalkans
Travel Daily News
6 hours ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Air Serbia: More than 1.5m. passengers since the beginning of 2025
Air Serbia carried over 1.5 million passengers from January to May 2025, marking a 6% increase and expanding routes to new destinations. From 1 January to 31 May 2025, Air Serbia carried more than 1,529,000 passengers, marking a six percent increase compared to the same period last year. From its airports in Belgrade, Niš, and Kraljevo, the national airline operated nearly 1,000 more flights in the first five months of the year than in 2024. These strong results were achieved thanks to passengers' trust in the fastest-growing airline in the Western Balkans region. 'Although the summer season in aviation began on 31 March, its most active period is still ahead. However, the results achieved in May show that travel is gradually becoming less seasonal in nature, as evidenced by more than 392,000 passengers on our flights. Compared to May 2024, this May we offered 1.5 percent more seats and carried 5.4 percent more passengers. The upcoming month will be very dynamic. For the first time in Air Serbia's history, we will launch regular services to Mykonos, Sardinia, and Tbilisi, and reintroduce direct flights between Belgrade and Geneva. A broad network of destinations is one of our greatest assets, encouraging passengers to choose Air Serbia for their travels,' said Jiri Marek, CEO of the national airline of the Republic of Serbia. Air Serbia's most popular destinations in the region during May were Tivat and Podgorica, while in Western Europe, the most frequented routes were to Paris, Zurich, Barcelona, and Milan, and in the Euro-Mediterranean zone to Istanbul, Larnaca, and Athens.
The Independent
7 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Trial date set for former civil servant accused of lying about GCHQ role
A former civil servant has appeared in court charged with falsely claiming to be a GCHQ intelligence analyst, the Cabinet Office's 'Head of Western Balkans' and a National Crime Agency (NCA) chief of staff. Ifthikhar Alam, 25, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday charged with three counts of fraud by false representation relating to job applications made between October 2021 and February this year. It is alleged the defendant lied about his employment history to the NCA between October 14 2021 and February 4 2025 by falsely representing he had been employed as an intelligence analyst for GCHQ. The court heard Alam initially worked at the Cabinet Office before being employed at the NCA from June 5 2023 until February 4 this year, when he was dismissed. It is further alleged he lied about being chief of staff to the digital, data and technology director and to the technology director and senior manager in the investigatory powers unit for the NCA to the Joint Maritime Security Centre, a government body which monitors threats around UK waters, between January 8 2024 and April 30 2024. Alam faces a third charge that he lied about his role and experience gained while working in the Cabinet Office, including about being its 'Head of Western Balkans', to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology between February 25 2024 and December 31 2024. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court the charges arose from the defendant making applications for three separate roles, with the first at the NCA being successful. He said: 'The information given in his applications and in the interviews for those roles was false.' Alam, of Beaulieu Close, Camberwell, south London, spoke only to confirm his identity and enter not guilty pleas to the three charges during the hearing, having already done so at an earlier court appearance. Judge Tony Baumgartner set a provisional trial date for February 22 2027 and granted the defendant unconditional bail.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Trial date set for former civil servant accused of lying about GCHQ role
A former civil servant has appeared in court charged with falsely claiming to be a GCHQ intelligence analyst, the Cabinet Office's 'Head of Western Balkans' and a National Crime Agency (NCA) chief of staff. Ifthikhar Alam, 25, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday charged with three counts of fraud by false representation relating to job applications made between October 2021 and February this year. It is alleged the defendant lied about his employment history to the NCA between October 14 2021 and February 4 2025 by falsely representing he had been employed as an intelligence analyst for GCHQ. The court heard Alam initially worked at the Cabinet Office before being employed at the NCA from June 5 2023 until February 4 this year, when he was dismissed. It is further alleged he lied about being chief of staff to the digital, data and technology director and to the technology director and senior manager in the investigatory powers unit for the NCA to the Joint Maritime Security Centre, a government body which monitors threats around UK waters, between January 8 2024 and April 30 2024. Alam faces a third charge that he lied about his role and experience gained while working in the Cabinet Office, including about being its 'Head of Western Balkans', to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology between February 25 2024 and December 31 2024. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court the charges arose from the defendant making applications for three separate roles, with the first at the NCA being successful. He said: 'The information given in his applications and in the interviews for those roles was false.' Alam, of Beaulieu Close, Camberwell, south London, spoke only to confirm his identity and enter not guilty pleas to the three charges during the hearing, having already done so at an earlier court appearance. Judge Tony Baumgartner set a provisional trial date for February 22 2027 and granted the defendant unconditional bail.
Sky News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
UK to open talks with Kosovo about hosting 'return hub' for failed asylum seekers
Kosovo will be one of the countries asked to take failed asylum seekers from the UK as part of the government's plan for "return hubs" abroad, according to reports. The Western Balkan country is on a list of nine countries drawn up by the government of potential places to deport illegal migrants who have exhausted all avenues of appeal for asylum in the UK, according to The Times newspaper. The report comes after the president of Kosovo revealed to Sky News that they would be "open to discussing it", but there had been "no formal talks" so far. The Tories say that return hubs will "not work as a deterrent", and the "vast majority who illegally cross the [English] Channel have their asylum claims accepted, so would never be removed under the return hubs plan". They would be for processing failed asylum seekers prior to their eventual deportation, wherever that might be. 1:30 Downing Street said they would be for people "who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK", but who may be employing tactics to delay their removal - like "losing their paperwork". The hubs would effectively buy time to return or deport illegal migrants without the government having to house them in Britain in the meantime, such as in the asylum hotels, which the government has promised to close. The prime minister described the hubs as a "really important innovation" that complements other measures the government is taking to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and stop small boat crossings. He refused to reveal which countries the government is in talks with, but he was left slightly red-faced after the Albanian prime minister publicly slapped down the idea of a UK return hub in his country, saying their agreement with Italy was a "one-off" deal for a key ally. 1:30 But speaking exclusively to Sky's Tamara Cohen, the president of Kosovo said her government is open to the idea. Vjosa Osmani said: "There's been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn't been raised so far. "We would be open to discussing it, however I can't say more than that because I don't know the details. I cannot give an answer on a request that hasn't been made so far." Ms Osmani called the UK a "steadfast ally". UK-supplied technology is being used in Kosovo to stop illicit goods and vulnerable people from reaching British shores. Nearly 22,000 people used the Western Balkans to enter Europe last year, the Foreign Office said earlier this year. There are six countries in the Western Balkans which are seen as central to UK efforts to tackling illegal migration. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro are the others, alongside Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. The Times reports that countries outside Europe are on a shortlist to be approached for talks about return hubs. The plan is part of the broader government efforts to stop small boat crossings. Over 12,000 people have crossed the Channel illegally on small boats so far this year, with 2025 on course to a record year for crossings, which will cause a major headache for Labour after being elected on a manifesto promise to "smash the gangs". Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said in response to the report: "The prime minister's attempt to get Albania to act as a return hub was humiliatingly dismissed by the Albanian prime minister. "Return hubs will anyway not work as a deterrent because only illegal immigrants whose asylum claims fail get removed. The vast majority who illegally cross the channel have their asylum claims accepted, so would never be removed under the return hubs plan."
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK draws up list of nine countries for migrant ‘return hubs' plan
The UK is considering Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other countries as potential locations for offshore "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers. These hubs would house asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeals process before being deported back to their home countries. While Kosovo 's president expressed openness to discussions, no formal talks have occurred yet. North Macedonia also confirmed not being formally approached. The UK aims to initiate discussions before a Western Balkans leaders' meeting in London this autumn. The Western Balkans region saw nearly 22,000 irregular migrant crossings into Europe last year, prompting concerns about migration routes and organized crime.
