The Netherlands: 2,500 children 'disappear' from Dutch refugee centres

More than 2,500 children have disappeared from refugee centres in the Netherlands over the past decade, the NRC newspaper reported on Monday. Most of those came from Afghanistan, Morocco, Algeria, Albania, Eritrea, Syria and Vietnam. According to the refugee agency COA, a proportion of these children may end up in the hands of human traffickers or in prostitution.

If you live in the EU and suspect any human trafficking or unauthorized prostitution going on in your area please contact the Human Trafficking hotline in your area (see telephone number for your EU country at https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/citizens-corner-national-hotlines/national-hotlines_en  

If you live in the US  call  the National Human Trafficking Hotline  1 (888) 373-7888  Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages  Website: www.humantraffickinghotline.org

Read more at: 2,500 children 'disappear' from Dutch refugee centres

Suriname: Total and Apache tout ‘significant’ oil find in Suriname waters - by Myles McCormick and David Sheppard

Oil producers Total and Apache announced a “significant oil discovery” on Tuesday that they said proves oil-rich rock formations off the coast of Guyana cross into Suriname waters, where they are exploring.

The companies heralded the potential for “prolific” oil production after drilling work at the Maka Central-1 well off the coast of the South American nation showed that the neighbouring Guyanese Cretaceous oil play — in which rival ExxonMobil has discovered billions of barrels equivalent of recoverable oil and gas — extends into local waters.

The two companies each own a 50 per cent stake in ‘Block 58’ where the well was drilled, after Total bought into it last month. Shares in Apache rose 20 per cent on the news to their highest level since May last year. Total shares were unmoved.

Read more at: Total and Apache tout ‘significant’ oil find in Suriname waters | Financial Times

European Troop Deployment in Iraq: 3,000 troops from 19 EU states in Iraq. Will they stay?

Around 3,000 soldiers from 19 EU states were deployed in Iraq, plus another 200 from 10 EU states stationed under Nato command, as of late 2019, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a global think tank.

With tensions flaring following the killing of general Qassem Suleimani in a US drone attack last week, the EU is scrambling to use diplomacy to de-escalate the brewing conflict and possible ensuing war.

Read more: 3,000 troops from 19 EU states in Iraq. Will they stay?

Passports: Italy has 'world's fourth most powerful passport'

An Italian passport is one of the world's most useful to have, according to an index that ranks how many countries each passport allows its holders to visit without applying for a visa in advance.

Almere-Digest

China - EU - Iran - Russia -Turkey -- a new Dawn? : Donald Trump′s risky short-sightedness - by Frank Sieren

New World  Order? China,-EU Russia

Like the rest of the world, Beijing was forced to look on idly as US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last Friday. Even the Iraqi government in Baghdad, which considers Iran an enemy, called on the US to withdraw. On Tuesday night, Iran responded by launching missile attacks on US bases in Iraq.

For now, the situation seems to be, if not de-escalated, at least not re-escalated. But the stakes in the Middle East are also high for China now. As the country with the second-highest oil consumption in the world, it sources a good 50% of its imports from the region. Although Iran is ranked only seventh in the list of oil exporters to China, it has become a close economic and diplomatic partner of Beijing's in recent years.

China is also Iran's largest trading partner. China's investments in Iran are also rising steadily, amounting to over $27 billion (€24.3 billion) between 2005 and 2018. Last summer, the two governments agreed that China would invest $280 billion in Iran's energy sector and $120 billion in its infrastructure and manufacturing sector over the next 25 years. In return, Beijing would receive cheaper oil as well as other benefits. The idea is also that the transactions be conducted in Chinese yuan or Russian rubles, as Russian companies will also be involved.

Iran is playing an increasingly important role for China's "New Silk Road." One of the most important axes of the geostrategic project of the century leads from China to Turkey, via Pakistan and Iran, and then from Istanbul to the Greek port of Piraeus.

Not far from the Pakistan-Iranian border and the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of the world's oil transports pass, lies the deep-sea port of Gwadar. In future, the idea is that this be used to transport oil and goods directly to China via an economic corridor in Pakistan. Pakistan shares a common border with both Iran and China, while goods still have to cross three Central Asian countries to get to China via the northern route.

Note EU-Digest: China, the EU and Russia for some time now are starting to cooperate on trade and technology much closer and in the process are by-passing the US at an ever increasing rate, specially following the election of Donald Trump.

Read more: Sieren’s China: Donald Trump′s risky short-sightedness | Asia| An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 09.01.2020

EU Green Transition: EU's green transition 'will have slightly positive economic effect'

EU's move towards a carbon-neutral economy to tackle climate change will have a "slightly positive" economic effect, it's been claimed.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's economy commissioner, speaking to Euronews in Berlin, admitted the green transition would have winners and losers but that it should be done in a "socially acceptable way".

EU countries reached a deal last month on making the bloc climate neutral by 2050.

Read more: The Brief: EU's green transition 'will have slightly positive economic effect' | Euronews

IRAN-US relations: In menacing Iran’s cultural sites, Trump threatens to commit ‘a war crime’

 The Trump administration has yet to offer any evidence backing its claim that last week’s killing of a senior Iranian official was legal under international law. Now the US president has also threate…

Read more at:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200106-in-menacing-iran-s-cultural-sites-trump-threatens-to-commit-a-war-crime