Prince William has started his 48-hour tour of the UK to launch a project to end homelessness.

His initiative, called Homewards, wants to make “restless sleeping, sofa surfing and other forms of temporary housing a thing of the past”. The focus is on six locations – one of them in London.

The 41-year-old Prince of Wales made his first stop at that first location this morning, visiting the Mosaic Clubhouse in Lambeth, south London, which supports people in the district who are suffering from mental illness.

His visit to the center was about how to break the link between mental illness and subsequent existence on the streets.

During the engagement, the king spoke to members of the clubhouse, who shared their experiences of homelessness and how the center has helped them.

Prince William is photographed visiting the Mosaic clubhouse in London today, at the start of his two-day UK tour which is launching his homelessness campaign

During today’s visit to the Mosaic Clubhouse (pictured), Prince William spoke to members of the organization about their experiences

The king also gave a short speech during the visit, in which he described how his mother took him to visit a homeless shelter when he was 11 years old

Among those he spoke to was big issue salesman Dave Martin. Last summer, the Prince joined Dave in selling copies of the magazine.

And he met with representatives from the Old Spike Roastery — a specialty coffee social enterprise that provides employment opportunities for the homeless.

The king also gave a short speech during his visit, in which he said he was delighted to be at the Mosaic clubhouse and described how “inspiring” it had been to hear about the “vital” work of the organization that they’ve done to break the link between mental health problems and homelessness.

During his speech, William also discussed the impact of visiting homeless shelters with his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

When he was still a schoolboy, she took him to The Passage for the first time.

He said, “My first visit to a homeless shelter was when I was 11 with my mother.” The visits left a deep and lasting impression.

“I’ve met so many extraordinary people and heard so many heartbreaking personal stories.” Too many people are left without stable and permanent homes.

“Through these visits I have seen firsthand the scale and complexity of homelessness. A personal thank you to people like Dave Wilson who is here today and gave me an introduction to selling The Big Issue last summer.”

The King sat down with various members of the clubhouse to discuss their experiences – and find out how the organization has helped them – including Big Issue salesman Dave Martin (pictured), whom he met last summer

Wiliam’s five-year project was inspired by similar initiatives in Finland, which have made great strides in the fight against homelessness

William, patron of Centrepoint and The Passage, thanked these organizations for helping him “understand not just their own work, but the huge impact of the sector more broadly”.

He continued, “I know great strides have been made and success stories prove progress is possible.”

“Here in the UK there is a strong tradition of collaboration between local authorities and the voluntary sector and it is exciting to see how social enterprises provide opportunities for people at risk of homelessness.”

And he revealed that he was inspired by the work in Finland, showing that “strong collaboration across the public, private and third sectors, backed by a long-term commitment, can put places on the path to ending homelessness.” .

The King ended his speech by saying, “I am delighted to stand here today and to officially mark the beginning of our journey to end homelessness.”

Prince William today made the first stop on his UK tour with a visit to the Mosaic Clubhouse, where he spoke to members (pictured).

During his visit to the Mosaic Clubhouse, the King also met representatives from Old Spike Roastery, a social enterprise that provides employment opportunities to the homeless

William (pictured meeting with Old Spike Roastery officials) says there is a “unique opportunity” to develop “innovative new solutions” when it comes to homelessness

William (pictured leaving the Mosaic clubhouse today) was first taken to a homeless center by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was 11

“I believe that over the next five years we have a unique opportunity to innovate new solutions and make a real impact.” This will inspire belief across the UK – and beyond – that homelessness can be ended for good .

“I am delighted to be at the beginning of this journey and to start Homewards here in Lambeth.

“Lambeth will become part of a network of six flagship Homewards sites across the UK, all committed to creating and implementing a plan to prevent homelessness in their areas.”

The center Prince William visited in Lambeth today is the first of six sites that will be part of his Homewards project

He said the areas would become a “network of six flagship Homewards sites across the UK, all committed to creating and implementing a plan to prevent homelessness in their areas”.

“They will all put collaboration at the heart of the response, forming locally led coalitions of committed people, organizations and businesses.”

“And we will be here to support you, bringing together an unprecedented network of individuals and organizations with expertise, resources and a commitment to ending homelessness.”

“We will support you in making lasting change and I am so grateful to all of you for joining us on this journey.”

“With Homewards, we will show that together we can finally end homelessness.”

As he said in his speech today, Prince William’s Homewards Initiative was inspired by similar work in Finland, where great strides have been made in reducing the problem of homelessness.

Prince William’s full speech in London today

Prince William spoke about his Homewards project today when he visited the Mosaic clubhouse in Lambeth, south London

Good Morning all. Personally, I am delighted to be here with all of you today in this beautiful garden of the Mosaic Clubhouse, a cornerstone of the Lambeth community.

It was inspiring to hear about the important work you are doing to break the link between mental health issues and homelessness.

After so many years of development, today is the day we launch Homewards – a transformative five-year program that will show that it is possible to end homelessness.

My first visit to a homeless shelter was when I was 11 and staying with my mom. The visits left a deep and lasting impression.

I’ve met so many extraordinary people and heard so many heartbreaking personal stories. Too many people no longer have a stable and permanent home.

Through these visits, I have seen firsthand the scale and complexity of homelessness. A personal thank you to guys like Dave Wilson who is here today and gave me an introduction to selling The Big Issue last summer…

And also to the fantastic teams at my patrons Centrepoint and The Passage who have really helped me to understand not only their own work but also the huge impact of the sector more broadly.

I know great strides have been made and success stories prove progress is possible.

Here in the UK there is a strong tradition of collaboration between local authorities and the voluntary sector and it is exciting to see social enterprises providing opportunities for people at risk of homelessness.

I am also encouraged by international examples such as Finland, which have shown that strong collaboration across the public, private and third sectors, backed by long-term commitment, can put places on the road to ending homelessness.

That’s why I’m excited to stand here today and to officially be at the beginning of our journey to end homelessness.

I believe that over the next five years we have a unique opportunity to innovate new solutions and make a tangible impact. This will inspire belief across the UK – and beyond – that homelessness can be ended for good.

I am delighted to be at the beginning of this journey and launching Homewards here in Lambeth.

Lambeth will become part of a network of six flagship Homewards locations across the UK, all committed to creating and implementing a plan to prevent homelessness in their areas. They will all put collaboration at the heart of the response, forming locally-led coalitions of committed people, organizations and businesses.

Their in-depth knowledge of the specific issues and requirements of their local areas will drive the work forward.

And we will be there for you. Bringing together an unparalleled network of individuals and organizations with expertise, resources and commitment to ending homelessness.

We will support you in making lasting change and I am so grateful to all of you for joining us on this journey.

With Homewards, we will show that together we can finally end homelessness.

Thank you very much.

The Prince’s five-year programme, initially focused on six sites, will encourage local businesses, organizations and individuals from sites to join forces and develop ‘tailor-made’ action plans to tackle homelessness with funding of up to £500,000.

Announcing the project ahead of his UK tour, William said: “In a modern and progressive society everyone should have a safe home, be treated with dignity and be given the support they need.”

“With Homewards, I want to make that a reality and over the next five years give hope to people across the UK that through our working together, homelessness can be prevented.”

He added: “I am fortunate to have seen firsthand the tireless work of people and organizations across the industry, the tangible impact their efforts can have and what can be done when communities are able to focus on to focus on preventing homelessness rather than managing it.” .

“It’s a tall order, but I truly believe that by working together, it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeatable, and I’m really looking forward to working with our six locations to make our goal a reality.” permit.”

Homes will be a focus of the program, with each site assisted in the implementation of an innovative housing project that will test new opportunities for large-scale home development within the site and beyond.

The six selected areas, including London, were selected following a competitive bidding process and the initiative’s findings and results will be used to create models that can be replicated elsewhere in the UK.

Around 300,000 people are made homeless every night across the UK, according to Matt Downie, chief executive of the charity Crisis, one of several Homewards partner organisations.

Mr Downie described the factors ‘pushing’ people into homelessness as ‘complex’, citing a ‘severe lack of truly affordable housing’, rising rents, rising costs of living, years of low wages and job insecurity that have led to that people can no longer cope with “sudden economic shocks” and a social system that cannot support them.

Relying on ‘temporary’ solutions like hostels and bed and breakfasts cost billions, he claimed, adding: ‘Homelessness is not inevitable with services being provided to thousands of people across the UK every year.’

“We know that in most cases it is preventable and in any case it can be stopped.”

He continued, “The best way to tackle homelessness is to prevent it in the first place.”

“We’ve seen it in other countries like Finland, where homelessness is all but coming to an end, and we’ve seen it as we pursue innovative programs that get people sheltered first.”

“We know that with the right decisions and by working together, we can achieve the same thing here.”

“As the number of homeless people continues to increase, innovative programs like Homewards are more necessary than ever.”

A new poll commissioned by the Royal Foundation found that one in five of the 3,473 adults surveyed in May has had a personal experience of homelessness, either directly (9%) or through family (8%) or friends (7%).

The study found that 72% of respondents felt homelessness had gotten worse over the past 12 months, while 73% believed society had not paid enough attention to ending homelessness.

During his first interview since becoming Prince of Wales, William spoke about his commitment to helping the homeless.

He said he was determined to “make a difference … that doesn’t create another downfall for people who are homeless.”

The 130,000 hectare Duchy of Cornwall stretches from Cornwall to Kent and includes properties in Newquay and Dorchester, consisting of a mix of private and some affordable housing.

Asked by The Sunday Times if there were any plans for affordable housing on the Duchy’s land, William said: “Absolutely.” Council housing. You’ll see that when it’s done. “I’m not a policy expert, but I push it where I can.”

In the newspaper it was described as a “curve ball” that the helpers had not expected. William stated that he will be “starting small” with housing construction and, if the project goes well, will look to increase the amount available.

William said: “It’s all well and good to make grand gestures, but there’s no point if … there’s no future.”

Australia’s top court has dismissed Russia’s request for an injunction that would have stopped the eviction of its embassy from a location in the capital, Canberra

From

ROD McGUIRK Associated Press

Jun 25, 2023 10:14pm ET

• 4 min reading

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia’s highest court on Monday dismissed Russia’s request for an injunction that would have stopped the eviction of its embassy from a location in the capital Canberra. A man who had occupied the block in a portable booth for more than a week left the block soon after in an apparent act of Russian defiance.

Supreme Court Justice Jayne Jagot called Russia’s objection to a lease termination law weak. “I don’t think (Russia’s) case is … a strong case. In fact, it’s difficult to identify a serious issue that needs to be looked at,” Jagot said.

Parliament passed an emergency law on June 15 ending Russia’s lease of the largely vacant building for security reasons, saying the new embassy would have been too close to the parliament building.

Government attorney Tim Begbie said Russia appeared to have sought the injunction to protect its own security and intelligence interests.

“It’s not just that they didn’t make any convincing arguments for invalidating the Constitution in that motion, they didn’t make any arguments for it at all,” Begbie said.

Russian lawyer Elliot Hyde had argued that Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky would not have confidence in the integrity and security of a consular building already on the site if the embassy was not allowed to retain ownership until a decision on challenging the termination of the lease was made.

Hyde said a man who had lived at the site since at least last week was a security guard guarding the site. The man had been described in the media as a Russian diplomat.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and expected the Russians to leave the compound.

“The court has clarified that at this time there is no legal basis for a Russian presence to continue at the site and we expect the Russian Federation to act in accordance with the court’s decision,” Albanese told reporters.

“Australia supports the law. “Russia hasn’t been very good at following the law lately,” Albanese added, referring to the invasion of Ukraine.

The security guard exited the fenced area after the decision and didn’t tell reporters as he exited the gate. He was carrying bags and was picked up by a car with diplomatic plates.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia had accused Australia of “russophobic hysteria” for terminating the lease on land in Canberra’s Diplomatic Quarter where Moscow planned to build a new embassy. The current Russian Embassy is located in the Canberra suburb of Griffith and its operations will not be affected.

Don Rothwell, an international law expert at the Australian National University, said an examination of the published list of accredited Russian diplomats in Australia found that there were only three male diplomats who could be the man guarding embassy grounds.

Given Hyde’s description of the squatter as a security guard, Rothwell doubted the man enjoyed diplomatic immunity that could have prevented Australian authorities from removing him from the site.

With him gone, police could avoid any further legal challenge by securing the compound and preventing any Russian diplomat from taking his place, Rothwell said.

Australian Federal Police last week refused to explain why the man had not been removed from the disputed site as an intruder.

The legal battle over the site marks a new low in strained relations between Russia and one of Ukraine’s most generous non-NATO supporters.

Albanese on Monday announced an additional A$110 million ($74 million) in aid to Ukraine, which includes 70 military vehicles and 28 M113 tracked armor. The aid also includes ammunition and AU$10 million (US$6.7 million) in humanitarian aid for shelter, health services, clean water and sanitation.

The new aid package brings Australia’s total aid to Ukraine to AU$790 million (US$528 million) since Russia’s invasion last year.

During the court hearing, Australia’s lawyer suggested that the Kremlin was distracted from the case by the short-lived insurgency of the Wagner Group’s mercenaries in Russia.

Tim Begbie said Hyde did not respond to a letter sent on Saturday in which the government tried to fend off the request for an injunction by offering not to damage the consular building or rent the site to someone else while the Russian lawsuit being heard in court.

“I’m not criticizing my educated friend for not replying to this letter,” Begbie said, referring to Hyde. “Russia had other things on its mind at the weekend.”

Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP Public Square, and Guillaume Ancel, former French army officer and military expert, were guests of “8:30 am franceinfo” on Monday 26 June 2023.

Vladimir Putin emerges “humiliated” from the uprising of the Wagner paramilitary group in Russia, stressed Monday, June 26, Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP Public Square, guest of 8:30 Franceinfo. “In reality, he was humiliated by the Ukrainian resistance for 15 months and he must be humiliated,” adds the Socialist MEP. “Historically, fascist leaders do not fall until they are humiliated, until they are defeated militarily,” he insists.

For his part, Guillaume Ancel, a former French army officer and military expert, believes that the Wagner militia “run out of soldiers”. According to him, “Prigozhin had most of his mercenaries massacred in the Battle of Bakhmout, which he lost”.

Wagner’s Uprising: “The Failure of the Russian Army”

“Putin really wavered for 24 hours. Putin’s absolute power wavered, wavered because of one of his creatures,” explained Guillaume Ancel. According to the military expert, this failed uprising is “the failure of the Russian army in Ukraine that prompted Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigoyine to rise up against a Russian army that he knows is incapable of assuring the power of those backed by the allies to oppose the Ukrainian army”.

“For Putin, the fact that his war dog is rebelling is a humiliation,” added Place Publique MEP Raphaël Glucksmann. “Prigoyine was the man who took on all the conflicts that Putin himself couldn’t take on,” particularly in Africa, he explains.

The fate of militia leader Wagner remains unclear and his future very uncertain. Belarus could welcome him in the coming days: “We have to settle his fate. He dared to challenge Putin’s power. In fact, it was Putin he attacked when he was his creature. Putin cannot stop doing this,” assures Guillaume Ancel. According to him, the militiaman made a strategic mistake: “A hero who retreats is no longer a hero, he is someone who has been lost.” What Prigojine did was a fatal mistake: to rebel against his master and himself to withdraw. He had to go all the way.” . And now it is his destiny to disappear,” he said. Guillaume Ancel “believes that the FSB, the former KGB, played a key role in stopping this crisis and preventing Prigojine from getting the support he needed to oust power.”

Wagner militia: It “has no more soldiers”

“Wagner has practically no more soldiers,” confirms Guillaume Ancel. Prigojine had most of his mercenaries massacred at the Battle of Bakhmout, which he lost. In reality, he massacred more than 20,000 men, there are more than 80,000 wounded on Wagner’s side, which means that Wagner hardly exists anymore in terms of soldiers,” assures the military specialist. The convoys drove back to Moscow last Saturday, according to Transporter. “There was very little military equipment,” he said. “What worried the Russian power very much was that there were probably regular military units inside,” he said. He stated, “The essence of Wagner’s strength is his power.” Communication. It’s armies of trolls and his ability to communicate.”

Vladimir Putin: “A mafioso” who created “permanent chaos”.

The Kremlin’s strongman “is a gangster who has cultivated mafiosi and created permanent chaos. Chaos within its borders and chaos outside its borders,” explained Raphaël Glucksmann. Putin deals with his opponents as the mafia can deal: “How many people have walked through the window, drunk tea, died because of Vladimir Putin?” he wondered. Physical eliminations organized on our own territory, he assures us: “I find it amazing how weak the reactions of westerners have been for decades. It is because this mafia regime has stretched its tentacles into the heart of our cities, and we have “not reacted,” he denounced.

Guillaume Ancel confirms the “mafia system”. According to him, “We must look at Prigozhin as Putin’s mirror. It’s just one of his creatures that rebelled against him. It is the image of his mirror that suddenly appears in him.” As of today, “the key to this war” in Ukraine is “Putin and the mafia regime that rules in Russia. The day this regime falls we can discuss with his successors,” he said. -he explains.

Westerners: “We must humiliate this regime”

Now that the militia leader has joined the ranks, “it is imperative that Russia lose militarily in Ukraine, and that we abandon the notion that Putin desperately needs a way out, that we absolutely avoid humiliating Ukrainians “The Russian people and the Russian regime,” emphasizes Raphaël Glucksmann. “This is a fundamental strategic error. This regime must be humbled. The regime itself must be humiliated. The Russian people must feel that this imperialism is at an impasse and that in the end all this will lead to the loss of Russia,” he continued. According to the MEP, Westerners must step up their support for Ukraine and “now express a clear strategic objective” which he says is that “the last Russian soldier must leave Ukrainian soil”. To do that, “we need to reverse the balance of power, much more so than we are doing today.” We have delivered enough equipment to Ukraine to keep Ukraine from collapsing. In order for Ukraine to resist now, we need to provide enough equipment for Ukraine to win militarily. That is the challenge for the coming weeks,” he explains.

Raphaël Glucksmann referred to Emmanuel Macron’s position: “We have to stop this idea of ​​France as a mediator. France is a European power that will be at the center of building European defenses, and that starts with being at the center of resisting Vladimir Putin’s offensive and aggression,” he said.

For his part, Guillaume Ancel also criticized the French head of state, who, according to him, was in a “confusion” between “European power and French power”. It’s quite unfortunate that he doesn’t say anything when he talks about the relationship with Putin on behalf of the European Union,” he lamented. “Today this war in Ukraine is above all a challenge for Europe. France cannot defeat Putin,” he said. “Emmanuel Macron is extremely ambiguous,” he added.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has just informed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that his authorities will soon release the three previously detained Kosovan police officers, the foreign minister was quoted as saying on local television.

According to him, Orban praised the president’s actions at a time of serious troubles, which is a clear confirmation of the deep friendship between the Serbian and Hungarian people and the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

On June 13, Serbian media reported that representatives of the country’s law enforcement agencies had arrested three members of Kosovo’s armed special forces in the central part of the country.

Those arrested were said to be in possession of pistols, machine guns, surveillance equipment, walkie-talkies, maps and navigation systems.

The situation in the northern Serb communities of Kosovo and Metohija escalated on May 26 after special Kosovo Police units occupied administrative buildings in the municipalities of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić.

They tried to win over to their posts the leaders of the communities who had won the elections boycotted by the Serb population.

On May 29, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Kosovo (KFOR) cordoned off government buildings where locals were protesting, sparking clashes.

The Kosovan police arrested seven Serb residents from the north of the province.

They were accused of using violence against KFOR militants during a protest on 29 May. However, video footage of the demonstration shows those arrested peacefully sitting on the ground in front of the NATO military formation.

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