MADRID: A total of 30,705 undocumented migrants have reached the Canary Islands in the Atlantic in the first 10 months of this year, nearing a full-year record of 2006, data from Spain’s Interior Ministry showed on Thursday.
The number of people risking the perilous crossing from Africa represented an 111 percent increase from the same period of last year and accounted for the bulk of the total of 43,290 arrivals to Spain by sea, which was about 66 percent higher, the data showed.
The archipelago, which lies around 100 km (60 miles) off Africa’s west coast, had its previous peak in 2006, when 31,678 migrants arrived as other routes to Europe were blocked off.
Arrivals have spiked as milder weather and calmer seas since September usually make attempts of crossing more feasible. A third of all arrivals in the Canaries came to El Hierro, the westernmost and tiniest island.
The archipelago’s seven islands have become the main destination for migrants from Senegal and other African countries trying to reach Spain, fleeing conflict or in search of better economic conditions.
More than half of migrants who have reach the archipelago came from Senegal, official data showed.
The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) counted 313 people who died or went missing so far in 2023 trying to reach the Canary Islands.
Last week, the Spanish government said it would create additional emergency accommodation for some 3,000 migrants in military barracks, hotels and hostels to ease the pressure on the archipelago after local authorities said they felt abandoned by the central government.
Spain’s Canary Islands on course for record migrant arrivals
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Spain’s Canary Islands on course for record migrant arrivals
- The number of people risking the perilous crossing from Africa represented an 111 percent increase from the same period of last year
- Arrivals have spiked as milder weather and calmer seas since September usually make attempts of crossing more feasible
Serbian student protesters march ahead of bridge blockade as driver rams Belgrade demonstration
Media reports say both hit the pavement with their heads and are being examined
INDJIJA, Serbia: Hundreds of striking students marched through the Serbian countryside Friday as they took their anti-graft protest toward the northern city of Novi Sad, where they plan to blockade three bridges over the River Danube this weekend.
The bridge blockade planned for Saturday will mark three months since a huge concrete construction at the railway station collapsed in Novi said on Nov. 1, leaving 15 people dead.
What started two months ago as a protest against suspected corruption in construction contracts has developed into the most serious challenge in years to the country’s powerful populist leader, President Aleksandar Vucic.
Meanwhile in Belgrade, a driver rammed a car into a silent protest Friday, injuring two women who work as doctors at a nearby psychiatric institution. Media reports say both hit the pavement with their heads and are being examined.
The incident, the third of its kind in weeks, happened in downtown Belgrade during 15 minutes of silence observed daily throughout Serbia at around noon when the canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad.
Pro-government thugs have repeatedly attacked the protesters, many of them students, twice ramming cars into demonstrations. Two people were seriously injured in the previous attacks
Along the way to Novi Sad on Friday, the students were greeted by cheering citizens who honked their car horns or came out of their homes to offer food and drinks.
When they reached the town of Indjija on Thursday, roughly halfway along their 80-kilometer (50-mile) route, the students were welcomed with fireworks and cheers from residents.
Although most of them spent the night out in the open in a soccer field, the freezing temperatures did not dampen their desire for major changes in the corruption-ridden Balkan state.
Nevena Vecerinac, a student, said she hoped the protesters’ demands that include the punishment of all those responsible for the rail station tragedy will be fulfilled.
“We will make it to Novi Sad,” she said. ”Yesterday’s walk was easy. It’s cold now, but we can make it. We all have the same goal.”
“We need support from all people. With this energy and mood I hope we can do it, otherwise there will be no brighter future,” said Luka Arsenovic, another student marcher.
Many in Serbia believe that the collapse of the overhang at the train station was essentially caused by government corruption in a large infrastructure project with Chinese state companies. Critics believe graft led to a sloppy job during the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, poor oversight and disrespect of existing safety regulations.
Monthslong demonstrations have already forced the resignation of Serbia’s prime minister Milos Vucevic this week, along with various concessions from authorities which were ignored by the protesters who say that is not enough.
Vucic and other officials have shifted from accusing the students of working with foreign powers to oust him, to offering concessions or issuing veiled threats.
The strength and determination of the protesters have caught many by surprise in a country where hundreds of thousands of young people have emigrated, looking for opportunities elsewhere.
German MPs haggle over immigration bill backed by far right
- Wednesday’s historic vote was cheered by the anti-immigration AfD
- While Wednesday’s motion was a non-binding call to restrict immigration, the proposal on Friday’s agenda would have the force of law
BERLIN: German party leaders were engaged in furious last-minute talks on Friday, delaying a high-stakes debate on an immigration bill which the conservative opposition has threatened to pass with the support of the far-right AfD.
The debate and a potential vote threatened to escalate a dispute which began Wednesday, when the conservative CDU-CSU relied on AfD votes to pass a motion calling for a crackdown on new arrivals and tight border controls.
The CDU leader and favorite to be Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sparked outrage with the maneuver, which was condemned by the other parties as a breach of a long-standing taboo or “firewall” against cooperating with far-right parties.
His move comes after a series of deadly attacks that have darkened the mood in Germany over the arrival of millions of war refugees and other asylum seekers in recent years, ahead of February 23 elections.
The debate in the Bundestag was initially slated to begin at 10:30 am (0930 GMT) before the CDU called for the sitting to be temporarily suspended for emergency talks.
The small, pro-business FDP had previously said it would request the debate to be completely postponed to allow parties other than the AfD more time to find a common solution.
Senior politicians from across the political spectrum shuttled in and out of Merz’s office in the Bundestag complex as they sought a compromise, an AFP journalist saw.
The wrangling over how to proceed with the bill had already lasted several hours on Friday without a solution.
Wednesday’s historic vote was cheered by the anti-immigration AfD but put Merz on the defensive as even his party’s former chancellor Angela Merkel broke years of silence on day-to-day politics to slam it as “wrong.”
Center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz charged that Merz’s tactical maneuver was a breach of his previous promises to shun the AfD and left him “open to the accusation that he is untrustworthy.”
Scholz even raised the spectre of Merz, if he wins, one day allowing the AfD into a government — a scenario that horrifies the mainstream parties in the country still seeking to atone for the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.
While Wednesday’s motion was a non-binding call to restrict immigration, the proposal on Friday’s agenda would have the force of law, which would mark another milestone in German politics.
To protest Wednesday’s move, thousands took to the streets in multiple rallies on Thursday waving signs that read: “Shame on you,” “Friedrich Merz is a security risk for our democracy” and “We are the firewall.”
Merz has vowed to wrest the initiative back from the AfD to call for a crackdown on immigration, in an about-turn from the open-door policy of his more centrist predecessor and party rival Merkel.
The CDU and its Bavarian allies the CSU want to propose the so-called Influx Limitation Act which would restrict family reunions for rejected asylum seekers with stays of deportation.
If it becomes law, it will also boost the powers of federal police to detain undocumented migrants, whom Merz wants to place in custody and send back as soon as possible.
Teh tarik: Malaysia’s iconic art of ‘pulled tea’
- Beverage developed by descendants of Indian Muslims who settled in Malaysia centuries ago
- Teh tarik’s quality is measured by its ‘pull,’ which aerates the liquid and enhances its flavor
KUALA LUMPUR: Often referred to as Malaysia’s national drink, teh tarik is not only the most popular beverage among the Southeast Asian nation’s young and old, but also one that reflects its diversity.
Meaning “pulled tea” in Malay, the strong, sweet, and milky teh tarik is named after the way it is prepared: by pouring it back and forth between two containers to create a frothy texture.
The beverage originates from the Mamak community — descendants of Indian Muslims who began to settle in the Malay Peninsula centuries ago. Most of them arrived during British colonial rule. Over time, they became heavily involved in the food and restaurant industry, where they set up small roadside eateries that would later become Malaysia’s iconic Mamak stalls.
While there are as many recipes for the perfect teh tarik as there are family-run tea shops, the beverage’s quality is measured by its “pull,” which aerates the liquid and enhances its flavor.
“If you do short pulls, you will not get enough air into the drink. It will not be frothy then. Also, this is my own interpretation, but the right amount of frothiness adds another dimension of flavor,” Senthil Kumar, a tea master at the ZamZam restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, told Arab News.
“Some people do it to make a show of it, which is nice, but actually the art is to alternate short and long pulls, almost slamming the liquid into the cup or tin can held below, to really get a good mix and ample froth.”
How long the tea leaves are soaked also matters, and so does the amount of milk.
“You cannot let the leaves soak for too long, but neither can they be under-soaked. Nothing longer than two hours. After that, the leaves lose their essence,” Kumar told Arab News.
“The condensed milk we use is a pretty common, well-known brand here. The trick is to not put too much. Because more condensed milk means a denser liquid. When the liquid is too dense, you can’t achieve the level of frothiness to make it creamy.”
The condensed milk version of teh tarik is the most popular but not the only one.
“In Indian restaurants or even Indian households, the tea is often made with fresh milk,” said P. Ramachandran, an avid tea lover and a retail shop owner in Kuala Lumpur’s Brickfields area.
“Once the milk comes to a boil, you add the tea leaves and let it boil, let the tea really seep into the milk. When the color turns to this beautiful golden brown, you add sugar. In my home, we use palm sugar, but you can also use normal brown sugar.”
The “pulling” part is the final touch and there are rules for it too, like the use of silver or stainless-steel dishes.
“Don’t use glass,” Ramachandran said. “Pull it generously, don’t spill and let the froth build. Then pull it directly into your drinking cup and drink when hot. Nothing beats that.”
While teh tarik was perfected by South Indian cooks, most Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, feel attached to it and have also customized their own versions of the beverage.
Mei Ren Li, a homemaker, said tea making in Chinese households was simpler.
“We occasionally have our black tea with milk and sugar,” she said.
“I am not very good with the pulling, but my kids love it when I do it, and I must say, it truly adds flavor to the tea. I typically use normal castor sugar, just one spoon per cup.”
Lately, local eateries have also been introducing more flavors to the traditionally three-ingredient-based drink. Ginger pulled tea and masala pulled tea are now more common.
Tejinder Kaur, a medical officer, prepares her tea at home this way, adding ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
“It’s made a lot like the Indian tea. We boil the fresh milk with water and add tea. As it begins bubbling, we add the spice mix and let it boil for two minutes. Then we pull it straight into our glasses and drink it hot,” she said.
“It’s a staple for my whole family, and we can all drink it all day long.”
Rwanda-backed M23 advances toward second DR Congo regional capital
- Group’s capture of most of Goma earlier in the week was a dramatic escalation in a region
- The crisis has rattled the continent and international observers
GOMA, DR Congo: The Rwandan-backed armed group M23 moved south as it closed in on a key military airport in DR Congo on Friday, a day after pledging to take the capital Kinshasa and as international criticism mounted.
The group’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, earlier in the week was a dramatic escalation in a region that has seen decades of conflict involving multiple armed groups.
Rwanda says its primary interest is to eradicate fighters linked to the 1994 genocide but is accused of seeking to profit from the region’s reserves of minerals used in global electronics.
The crisis has rattled the continent and international observers, with a southern African regional bloc holding an emergency summit in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare on Friday.
M23 fighters are now moving south.
Local sources said on Thursday that fighting was concentrated some 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city of Kavumu.
The city has a strategic military airfield and is where the Congolese army has laid down its defensive line just 40 km north of South Kivu’s provincial capital Bukavu.
The United Nations warned it was concerned by “credible reports that the M23 is moving rapidly toward the city of Bukavu.”
The second biggest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after Goma, Bukavu has a population believed to be around two million.
The Congolese army has yet to comment on the latest M23 advances but President Felix Tshisekedi said earlier this week that a “vigorous” military response was under way.
Information about the fast-moving offensive has remained unclear, but so far M23 fighters have met limited resistance from the ill-equipped and poorly paid Congolese forces.
In Goma, residents have emerged to count the dead and search for food, as hospitals struggled to cope with the wounded.
“We do not want to live under the thumb of these people,” one person, who asked not to be named, said.
The United Nations, United States, European Union, China, Britain, France and mediator Angola have all called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces.
Britain said Thursday it was considering reviewing aid to Rwanda.
Rwanda has hit back at the criticism, with government spokesperson Yolande Makolo saying the UK did not deliver “a direct warning” about aid.
“The international community has its fair share of the blame in the current situation,” she posted on X.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame also strongly rejected accusations that Kigali is supporting the armed group, saying: “M23 are not Rwandans — they are Congolese.”
On Friday, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the “worrying situation.”
Kagame and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the African Union-appointed mediator between Kigali and Kinshasa on the conflict, will not attend.
The meeting follows soaring tensions between Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after the deaths of 13 South African soldiers in DRC’s east.
“We are ready to defend ourselves if we are attacked by a coalition including South African forces,” Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told South African public broadcaster SABC late Thursday.
The M23 and Rwandan troops entered Goma on Sunday. During days of intense clashes that killed more than 100 people, the group seized control over much of the city as many Congolese soldiers surrendered or fled.
“We are in Goma and we will not leave,” Corneille Nangaa, head of a coalition of groups including the M23, said on Thursday.
“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” he added.
The offensive has heightened an already dire humanitarian crisis in the region, causing food and water shortages and forcing half a million people from their homes this month, the UN said.
Africa’s health agency warned that the “unnecessary war” in eastern DRC — a hotspot for infectious diseases including mpox — raised the risk of pandemic.
The DRC has accused Rwanda of waging an offensive to profit from the region’s mineral wealth.
A report by UN experts in July supported the claims, finding that Rwanda has thousands of troops in eastern DRC — and holds “de facto control” over the M23.
Rwanda has denied the accusations.
Five years after Britain left EU, full impact of Brexit is still emerging
- People and businesses still wrestling with the economic, social and cultural aftershocks of Brexit
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to “reset” relations with the EU after years of acrimony
LONDON: Five years ago Friday, two crowds of people gathered near Britain’s Parliament — some with Union Jacks and cheers, others European Union flags and tears.
On Jan. 31, 2020 at 11 p.m. London time – midnight at EU headquarters in Brussels — the UK officially left the bloc after almost five decades of membership that had brought free movement and free trade between Britain and 27 other European countries.
For Brexit supporters, the UK was now a sovereign nation in charge of its own destiny. For opponents, it was an isolated and diminished country.
It was, inarguably, a divided nation that had taken a leap into the dark. Five years on, people and businesses are still wrestling with the economic, social and cultural aftershocks.
“The impact has been really quite profound,” said political scientist Anand Menon, who heads the think-tank UK in a Changing Europe. “It’s changed our economy.
“And our politics has been changed quite fundamentally as well,” he added. “We’ve seen a new division around Brexit becoming part of electoral politics.”
A decision that split the nation
An island nation with a robust sense of its historical importance, Britain had long been an uneasy member of the EU when it held a referendum in June 2016 on whether to remain or leave. Decades of deindustrialization, followed by years of public spending cuts and high immigration, made fertile ground for the argument that Brexit would let the UK “take back control” of its borders, laws and economy.
Yet the result — 52 percent to 48 percent in favor of leaving — came as a shock to many. Neither the Conservative government, which campaigned to stay in the EU, nor pro-Brexit campaigners had planned for the messy details of the split.
The referendum was followed by years of wrangling over divorce terms between a wounded EU and a fractious UK that caused gridlock in Parliament and ultimately defeated Prime Minister Theresa May. She resigned in 2019 and was replaced by Boris Johnson, who vowed to “get Brexit done.”
It wasn’t so simple.
A blow to the British economy
The UK left without agreement on its future economic relationship with the EU, which accounted for half the country’s trade. The political departure was followed by 11 months of testy negotiations on divorce terms, culminating in agreement on Christmas Eve in 2020.
The bare-bones trade deal saw the UK leave the bloc’s single market and customs union. It meant goods could move without tariffs or quotas, but brought new red tape, costs and delays for trading businesses.
“It has cost us money. We are definitely slower and it’s more expensive. But we’ve survived,” said Lars Andersen, whose London-based company, My Nametags, ships brightly colored labels for kids’ clothes and school supplies to more than 150 countries.
To keep trading with the EU, Andersen has had to set up a base in Ireland, through which all orders destined for EU countries must pass before being sent on. He says the hassle has been worth it, but some other small businesses he knows have stopped trading with the EU or moved manufacturing out of the UK
Julianne Ponan, founder and CEO of allergen-free food producer Creative Nature, had a growing export business to EU countries that was devastated by Brexit. Since then she has successfully turned to markets in the Middle East and Australia, something she says has been a positive outcome of leaving the EU.
Having mastered the new red tape, she is now gradually building up business with Europe again.
“But we’ve lost four years of growth there,” she said. “And that’s the sad part. We would be a lot further ahead in our journey if Brexit hadn’t happened.”
The government’s Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that UK exports and imports will both be around 15 percent lower in the long run than if the UK had remained in the EU, and economic productivity 4 percent less than it otherwise would have been.
Brexit supporters argue that short-term pain will be offset by Britain’s new freedom to strike trade deals around the world. Since Brexit. the UK has signed trade agreements with countries including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
But David Henig, a trade expert at the European Center for International Political Economy, said they have not offset the hit to trade with Britain’s nearest neighbors.
“The big players aren’t so much affected,” Henig said. “We still have Airbus, we still have Scotch whisky. We still do defense, big pharmaceuticals. But the mid-size players are really struggling to keep their exporting position. And nobody new is coming in to set up.”
A lesson in unintended consequences
In some ways, Brexit has not played out as either supporters or opponents anticipated. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine piled on more economic disruption, and made it harder to discern the impact of Britain’s EU exit on the economy.
In one key area, immigration, Brexit’s impact has been the opposite of what many predicted. A desire to reduce immigration was a major reason many people voted to leave the EU, yet immigration today is far higher than before Brexit because the number of visas granted for workers from around the world has soared.
Meanwhile, the rise of protectionist political leaders, especially newly returned US President Donald Trump, has raised the stakes for Britain, now caught between its near neighbors in Europe and its trans-Atlantic “special relationship” with the US
“The world is a far less forgiving place now than it was in 2016 when we voted to leave,” Menon said.
Can Britain and the EU be friends again?
Polls suggest UK public opinion has soured on Brexit, with a majority of people now thinking it was a mistake. But rejoining seems a distant prospect. With memories of arguments and division still raw, few people want to go through all that again.
Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer, elected in July 2024, has promised to “reset” relations with the EU, but has ruled out rejoining the customs union or single market. He’s aiming for relatively modest changes such as a making it easier for artists to tour and for professionals to have their qualifications recognized, as well as on closer cooperation on law enforcement and security.
EU leaders have welcomed the change of tone from Britain, but have problems of their own amid growing populism across the continent. The UK is no longer a top priority.
“I completely understand, it’s difficult to get back together after quite a harsh divorce,” said Andersen, who nonetheless hopes Britain and the EU will draw closer with time. “I suspect it will happen, but it will happen slowly and subtly without politicians particularly shouting about it.”
