International
Johnson calls on China to speak out over Ukraine war
Boris Johnson has urged China to get off the fence and join in global condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister said he believed some in Xi Jinping’s administration were having “second thoughts” about the neutral stance adopted by Beijing following Russia’s actions against its neighbour.
Despite Mr Johnson’s suggestion of a possible shift in attitude, there was fresh criticism of Nato on Saturday from China as Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian towns and cities.
Mr Johnson used a Sunday Times interview to urge China and other neutral nations to line up against Russia.
He said: “As time goes on, and as the number of Russian atrocities mounts up, I think it becomes steadily more difficult and politically embarrassing for people either actively or passively to condone Putin’s invasion.
“There are considerable dilemmas now for people who thought they could sit this one out, who thought they could sit on the fence.
“And, yes, I think that in Beijing you are starting to see some second thoughts.”
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US President Joe Biden had a two-hour video call with Chinese President Xi on Friday but there was little evidence of any shift in Beijing’s stance.
On Saturday China’s vice foreign Le Yucheng blamed Nato – a “Cold War vestige” – for the war and criticised sanctions against Russia.
Leaders from the Nato alliance – including Mr Biden – will meet in Brussels on Thursday, with Mr Johnson suggesting it would be “extremely significant”, with the possibility of more pledges of support for Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky.
“People will want to do more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves,” Mr Johnson said.
“But I’ve got to stress it is very important that we don’t fall into the trap of seeming to stack up Putin’s argument to his own country that this is effectively a war between Russia and Nato; between Russia and the West. That’s not what is going on here.”
The Prime Minister used a speech at the Tory spring conference on Saturday to claim Mr Putin’s invasion was not motivated by a fear of Ukraine joining an expanded Nato, but rather because he was terrified of a successful democracy in the former Soviet republic.
He said Mr Zelensky – with whom he has regular conversations despite the constant threat of attacks on Kyiv – was an “absolutely charming guy but he’s also proved to be an inspiration and a heroic war leader”.
The possibility of offering Mr Zelensky and his family refuge in the UK had been discussed but Mr Johnson told the Sunday Times: “I’ve got to tell you that Volodymyr has always been clear, his duty is to the Ukrainian people; he’s going to stay there, he’s going to look after them. I have to say I admire him.”
In his conference speech in Blackpool on Saturday, Mr Johnson said Mr Putin was in a “total panic” about the prospect of a popular uprising if freedom was allowed to flourish in Kyiv.
The war was a “turning point for the world”, forcing countries to stand up to Russia rather than “making accommodations with tyranny”.
“He (Mr Putin) has been in a total panic about a so-called colour revolution in Moscow itself and that is why he is trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine, and that’s why it is so vital that he fails,” Mr Johnson said.
“A victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine, and the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.”
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Mr Johnson used his Sunday Times interview to acknowledge that sanctions and the shift away from Russian oil and gas could have a “terrible” impact on consumers and motorists.
But he said the West had to cut dependency on Russian hydrocarbons, suggesting it should have been done earlier following the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
“The West is paying something like USD 700 million (£531 million) a day to Putin in oil and gas revenues. And he’s using that money to finance his barbaric aggression in Ukraine.”
In other developments:
– UN organisations confirmed there have been more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher.
– Former prime minister David Cameron travelled to Poland to deliver supplies to refugees fleeing the fighting.
– Transport Secretary Grant Shapps banned a Cessna jet from leaving London Biggin Hill Airport because of suspected links to Russia.
Evening Standard
International
Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants
Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants
The Canadian government, in collaboration with private sector partners, is offering a cybersecurity training programme in Calgary designed to support immigrants in securing employment in the growing tech industry.
The initiative provides hands-on learning and job placement opportunities in one of 16 entry-level cybersecurity roles. Participants will earn industry-recognized micro-credentials, equipping them with the skills needed to launch their careers.
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Funded by the Alberta Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade, the programme is delivered in partnership with ReTrain Canada and Manpower Canada. The 12-week training session, scheduled for March, will run Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Through this initiative, participants will gain expertise in cybersecurity fundamentals, encryption techniques, and applied penetration testing—all at no cost—while also receiving practical work experience to enhance their employability.
Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants
International
US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
The United States said Friday it was terminating the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, giving them weeks to leave the country.
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history and curb immigration, mainly from Latin American nations.
The order affects around 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who came to the United States under a scheme launched in October 2022 by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and expanded in January the following year.
They will lose their legal protection 30 days after the Department of Homeland Security’s order is published in the Federal Register, which is scheduled Tuesday.
That means immigrants sponsored by the program “must depart the United States” by April 24 unless they have secured another immigration status allowing them to remain in the country, the order says.
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Welcome.US, which supports people seeking refuge in the United States, urged those affected by the move to “immediately” seek advice from an immigration lawyer.
The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program, announced in January 2023, allowed entry to the United States for two years for up to 30,000 migrants per month from the four countries, which have grim human rights records.
Biden touted the plan as a “safe and humane” way to ease pressure on the crowded US-Mexico border.
But the Department of Homeland Security stressed Friday that the scheme was “temporary.”
“Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States,” it said in the order.
Trump last week invoked rare wartime legislation to fly more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, which has offered to imprison migrants and even US citizens at a discount.
US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
AFP
International
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
The UK government has confirmed it will introduce new fees for passport applications beginning on April 10th, 2025.
The changes, which are still subject to parliamentary approval, will see a rise in costs for both online and paper applications, affecting adults and children alike.
According to the UK Home Office, the adjustments will apply to both domestic and overseas passport applications.
The fee increases, as stated, are part of an ongoing effort to ensure the passport system is financially self-sustaining, reducing the need for funding from general taxation. The Home Office clarified that the government does not make any profit from the fees.
Fee increases for domestic applications
Starting April 10th, 2025, the fee for a standard online application within the UK will rise for both adults and children. The cost for an adult’s application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while for children it will go up from £57.50 to £61.50.
Postal applications will also see an increase, with the adult fee rising from £100 to £107 and the child fee increasing from £69 to £74.
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Charges to premium service fees
The Premium Service, which allows for passport issuance within one day, will also become more expensive.
- For adults, the fee will rise from £207.50 to £222
- For children, the fee will increase from £176.50 to £189.
This service is available for those who need a passport urgently and are applying from within the UK.
Higher costs for overseas applications
For individuals applying from overseas, the standard online application fee will also increase;
- The adult fee will rise from £101 to £108, and the child fee will increase from £65.50 to £70
- For paper applications made abroad, the adult fee will rise from £112.50 to £120.50, while the child fee will increase from £77 to £82.50.
The Home Office stated that the new fees are necessary to maintain the passport service and ensure it is financially viable. The fees contribute to covering the cost of processing passport applications, offering consular support to UK citizens overseas, and managing UK border services.
“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders,” the office said.
It is also related that in 2024, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks, where no additional information was required. Customers are advised to apply well in advance of their travel plans to avoid delays.
These fee adjustments are in line with guidelines from HM Treasury, which regularly reviews passport fees.
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
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