Month: February 2023

The vessel broke apart while trying to land near Crotone on Sunday. Migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Iran were on board.

A baby was among the dead, Italian officials said.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who visited the scene, said as many as 30 people may still be missing.

Bodies were recovered from the beach at a nearby seaside resort in the Calabria region.

The coastguard said 80 people had been found alive, “including some who managed to reach the shore after the sinking”.

The exact number of people who were on the boat, which had sailed from Turkey several days ago, is not clear.

Rescue workers told the AFP news agency that the vessel had been carrying “more than 200 people”, which would mean more than 60 people unaccounted for.

Many of the migrants were fleeing very difficult conditions, Italy’s president said.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif referenced reports that more than two dozen Pakistanis were among the dead, and called the news “deeply concerning and worrisome”. He instructed Pakistan’s diplomats to “ascertain facts as early as possible”.

The vessel is reported to have sunk after it crashed against rocks during rough weather, sparking a large search-and-rescue operation on land and at sea.

Video footage shows timber from the wreckage that had been smashed into pieces washing up on the beach, along with parts of the hull.

Survivors are seen huddled under blankets, attended to by Red Cross workers. Some have been taken to hospital.

“There had been landings but never a tragedy like this,” the mayor of Cruto, Antonio Ceraso, told Rai News.Dozens of people managed to survive the boat’s sinking

One survivor was arrested on migrant trafficking charges, customs police said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – elected last year partly on a pledge to stem the flow of migrants into Italy – expressed “deep sorrow” and blamed the deaths on traffickers.

“It is inhumane to exchange the lives of men, women and children for the price of the ‘ticket’ they paid in the false perspective of a safe journey,” she said in a statement.

“The government is committed to preventing departures, and with them the unfolding of these tragedies, and will continue to do so.”

Ms Meloni’s right-wing government has vowed to stop migrants reaching Italy’s shores and in the last few days pushed through a tough new law tightening the rules on rescues.

Carlo Calenda, Italy’s former economy minister, said people in difficulty at sea should be rescued “whatever the cost”, but added that “illegal immigration routes must be closed”.

European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said she was “deeply saddened” by the incident, adding that the “loss of life of innocent migrants is a tragedy”. She said it was crucial to “redouble our efforts” to make progress on reforming EU asylum rules to tackle the challenges regarding migration to Europe.

Pope Francis, who often defends the rights of migrants, has said he is praying for the dead, the missing and those who survived.

According to monitoring groups, more than 20,000 people have died or gone missing at sea in the central Mediterranean since 2014.

Regina Catrambone, director of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, which carries out search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, told the BBC that European countries must work together to help those in need.

She also called for an end to the “myopic vision” that says that countries that are physically closer to Africa and the Middle East should take the lead on tackling the issue.

“Still there is no co-operation among the European states to actively co-ordinate together to go and help the people in need,” she said, urging governments to work together to improve search and rescue efforts and develop safe and legal routes.

The biggest was in Mexico City, where organisers say 500,000 people marched on the city’s main plaza. The local government put the number at 90,000.

Lawmakers last week voted to slash the budget of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and cut its staffing.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accuses the INE of being partisan.

But opponents describe the recent vote as an attack on democracy itself, pressing the Supreme Court to overturn them as unconstitutional.

On Sunday, massive crowds gathered in Mexico City’s historic Zocalo Square. The demonstrators spilled out into adjoining streets in the city centre.

“We’re fighting to defend our democracy,” protester Veronica Echevarria was quoted as saying by Reuters. She was wearing a cap emblazoned with the words “Hands off the INE”. Many demonstrators carried cards with a similar slogan.

Smaller peaceful demonstrations were staged in several other cities.

Mexico’s Senate approved the reforms on Wednesday, following a similar vote in the lower chamber of parliament. The reforms will come into force once they are signed by President López Obrador.

The BBC’s Mexico correspondent, Will Grant, says it is perhaps the most polemic political issue in Mexico at present.

Mr López Obrador, who was elected in July 2018 after two previous failed attempts, has long been critical of the INE, whose staff oversee elections.

Last month, he accusing the independent body of cheating, and said its staff turned a blind eye to “the stuffing of ballot boxes, falsification of [election] records and vote buying”.

In his first attempt at becoming president, in 2006, he lost to his conservative rival Felipe Calderón by less than one percentage point. For months, Mr López Obrador refused to recognise the result, which he denounced as fraudulent.

He also challenged the result of the 2012 election, when he lost to Enrique Peña Nieto.

Since his win in 2018, Mr López Obrador has been pushing for a reform of the INE, which he says will save taxpayers $150m (£125m) a year by drastically reducing the agency’s staff.

The prime minister and Ursula von der Leyen will meet in Berkshire in the afternoon to discuss “complex challenges” around the protocol.

The UK wants to change the current agreement – which sees some goods checked when entering Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain.

A new deal has been expected for days.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab earlier said the UK and EU were “on the cusp” of a deal and that the EU had “moved” on some issues.

Downing Street released more details about the talks between Mr Sunak and Ms von der Leyen, which is set to take place around late lunchtime.

If a deal is reached, it would then be announced later on Monday, with the leaders holding a joint press conference after the cabinet has been updated.

The prime minister would then address the House of Commons.

Both Tory and Labour MPs have been told by their respective whips to come to Parliament on Monday.

Downing Street said: “The prime minister wants to ensure any deal fixes the practical problems on the ground, ensures trade flows freely within the whole of the UK, safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in our Union, and returns sovereignty to the people of Northern Ireland.”

There have been “hundreds of hours of talks” during the “intensive negotiations with the EU”, the spokesperson added, saying “positive, constructive progress has been made”.

The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed under former PM Boris Johnson as part of the process of the UK leaving the European Union.

It means Northern Ireland has continued to follow some EU laws so that goods can flow freely over the border to the Republic of Ireland without checks.

Instead, goods arriving from England, Scotland and Wales are checked when they reach Northern Irish ports.

Critics, including Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), feel this undermines the nation’s position within the rest of the UK as well as impacting trade.

The DUP has complained about what it calls a “democratic deficit”, with Northern Ireland being subject to EU rules while not having a say on them.

The party has prevented a Northern Ireland devolved government from forming, leaving it in political gridlock.

BBC chief political correspondent Nick Eardley said that while officials had been negotiating over the weekend, leader-level talks were needed to discuss the final details.

Sources in government have repeatedly said that not everyone will get everything they want from the deal – but the priority is addressing issues with the protocol and protecting the Good Friday agreement, our correspondent said.

There is no expectation in Westminster that the DUP will endorse the deal immediately and many believe it will not be enough to tempt them back to Stormont, he added.

Some Conservative MPs could also rebel against the government in any vote in Parliament, with Brexiteer Tories wanting lawyers to scrutinise the text.

One Tory told the BBC on Sunday night: “The bottom line is – if this doesn’t result in power sharing, it’s not a worthwhile agreement.”

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said he had been in contact with Ms von der Leyen on Sunday and “very much” welcomed her meeting with Mr Sunak.

He tweeted: “We should acknowledge the level of engagement between the UK Gov, the European Commission and the NI parties in recent months.”

His deputy, Micheal Martin, said there had been “very significant progress”, adding “a great effort” had been made to resolve issues.

“I would hope it can be brought to a conclusion, but that’s a matter for the UK and EU negotiating teams to call.”

The government has not confirmed if MPs would get a vote on any deal, but said they would be able to “express” their view.

Mr Sunak has been under pressure from some Conservative MPs over the role of EU law and the European Court of Justice in settling trade disputes.

Mark Francois, who heads the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, earlier said EU law needed to be “expunged” from Northern Ireland, bringing it in line with England, Scotland and Wales.

He told Sky News on Sunday that he had yet to see the detail of the deal and it would be “incredibly unwise” to bring in any new deal without giving MPs a vote.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has previously said: “The objective in London and Brussels should be to get this right rather than rushed. The wrong deal will not restore power sharing but will deepen division for future generations.”

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a trading arrangement, negotiated during Brexit talks. It allows goods to be transported across the Irish land border without the need for checks.

Before Brexit, it was easy to transport goods across this border because both sides followed the same EU rules. After the UK left, special trading arrangements were needed because Northern Ireland has a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the EU.

The EU has strict food rules and requires border checks when certain goods – such as milk and eggs – arrive from non-EU countries.

The land border is a sensitive issue because of Northern Ireland’s troubled political history. It was feared that cameras or border posts – as part of these checks – could lead to instability.

The UK and the EU agreed that protecting the Northern Ireland peace deal – the Good Friday agreement – was an absolute priority.

So, both sides signed the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

It is now part of international law.

On Saturday, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 184 suspects – including construction contractors and property owners – had already been arrested.

For years, experts warned that endemic corruption and government policies meant many new buildings were unsafe.

The confirmed death toll in Turkey and Syria has now exceeded 50,000.

Mr Bozdag made the televised remarks from south-eastern Turkey, where the 7.8 magnitude quake struck and was followed by another powerful tremor just hours later.

His comments showed how the investigation had widened – two weeks ago, the authorities said that 113 arrest warrants had been issued.

Among those that have been arrested is a mayor of one of the towns close to where the tremors hit, Turkish media reported.

More than 160,00 buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in Turkey after the quakes, raising questions about whether the natural disaster’s impact was made worse by human failings.

Opposition parties and some construction experts accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration of failing to enforce building regulations and trying to divert overall blame for the disaster.

They say that government policies have allowed so-called amnesties for contractors who swerved building regulations, in order to encourage a construction boom, including in earthquake-prone regions.

Mr Erdogan has admitted shortcomings, but has appeared to blame fate for the scale of the disaster.

“Such things have always happened. It’s part of destiny’s plan,” he said during a recent visit to the region.

With elections on the horizon, Mr Erdogan’s future is on the line after 20 years in power – and his pleas for national unity have gone unheeded.

Beijing declined to accept parts of a G20 statement that deplored Russia’s aggression “in the strongest terms”.

Moscow said “anti-Russian” Western countries had “destabilised” the G20.

It comes after China this week published a plan to end the conflict that was viewed by some as pro-Russian.

India, which hosted this week’s G20 talks in the southern city of Bengaluru, issued a wide-ranging “chair’s summary” from the meeting, noting there were “different assessments of the situation” in Ukraine, and on sanctions imposed on Russia.

A footnote said that two paragraphs summarising the war were “agreed to by all member countries except Russia and China”. The paragraphs were adapted from the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration in November, and criticised “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”.

After taking a back seat since the invasion a year ago, Beijing has stepped up its diplomacy efforts surrounding the conflict in recent weeks. Its top diplomat Wang Yi toured Europe this week, culminating in a warm welcome by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

China also this week published a 12-point plan for ending the war in Ukraine, in which it called for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty. However, the 12-point document did not specifically say that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and did not condemn Russia’s invasion.

The Chinese document was welcomed by Russia, prompting US President Joe Biden to comment: “[President] Putin’s applauding it, so how could it be any good?”

After the G20 meeting, Ajay Seth, a senior Indian official, said in a press conference that Russian and Chinese representatives did not agree to the wording on Ukraine because “their mandate is to deal with economic and financial issues”.

“On the other hand, all the other 18 countries felt that the war has got implications for the global economy” and needed to be mentioned, he added.

The 17-paragraph summary of the summit also referenced the recent earthquake in Turkey, debt in low- and middle-income countries, global tax policy, and food insecurity.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it regretted the fact that “the activities of the G20 continue to be destabilised by the Western collective and used in an anti-Russian… way”.

It accused the United States, European Union and G7 nations of “clear blackmail”, urging them to “acknowledge the objective realities of a multipolar world”.

But German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said: “This is a war. And this war has a cause, has one cause, and that is Russia and Vladimir Putin. That must be expressed clearly at this G20 finance meeting.”

Previous meetings of G20 members have also failed to produce a joint statement since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

On Thursday, the UN General Assembly in New York overwhelmingly backed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The motion was backed by 141 nations with 32 abstaining and seven – including Russia – voting against.

She was one of several MPs to leave Labour in spring 2019, saying she was “embarrassed and ashamed” to stay.

Ms Berger has now accepted an apology from Sir Keir Starmer, who said there had been a “litany of failures”.

The former Liverpool Wavertree MP said the party had now “turned a significant corner” under Sir Keir’s leadership.

She added: “I’m pleased to be returning to my political home.”

Ms Berger formed The Independent Group with several other Labour and Conservative MPs when she left her party, saying there had been a “sea of cases” of antisemitism and that complaints had been brushed under the carpet.

She later joined the Liberal Democrats and was chosen to contest the seat of Finchley and Golders Green, but failed to win the vote.

Sir Keir said he was “delighted” Ms Berger had accepted his invitation to rejoin the party, writing on Twitter: “My test for change was whether those who were rightly appalled by how far we had fallen believe this is their party again.

“I know we’ve more to do but we’re unrecognisable from the party that forced her out.”

He shared letters the pair had exchanged, in which Ms Berger spoke of the “grim journey” from 2015 to 2019 “during which the party fell into the depths of the abyss under Jeremy Corbyn’s reign”.

She said she felt she had no choice other than to leave, writing: “I never expected to bear witness to the volume and toxicity of anti-Jewish racism espoused by people who had been allowed to join Labour, and to experience a leadership that treated antisemitism within the party’s ranks differently to every other kind of racism – and that by refusing to condemn it, encouraged it.

“But that is exactly what happened.”

In his letter, Sir Keir said Ms Berger had been “forced out by intimidation, thuggery and racism” and had made a “brave move” – albeit one she “should never have been forced to take”.

“That day will forever be a stain on Labour’s history,” he added.

Sir Keir said she had suffered abuse and was left “isolated and exposed”, adding the party and British politics were “poorer places” without her.

A report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2020 said there had been “a culture within the party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it”.

It found Labour had broken equality law over its handling of antisemitism complaints.

Former leader Jeremy Corbyn rejected some of the findings, saying the issue had been “dramatically overstated” by his critics. He insisted there was no place for antisemitism in Labour, but was suspended from the party by Labour’s headquarters.

Sir Keir said the findings of the EHRC investigation were “hard to read”, adding that it had been “a day of shame for the Labour Party”.