China and Russia plan to work together for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
A top Chinese envoy says that China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue and plan to try to work together to cool the situation and help establish a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
France's African ex-soldiers win last battle - over pensions
Some of the last survivors in France from a colonial-era infantry corps that recruited tens of thousands of African soldiers to fight in French wars around the world will be able to live out their final days with family members back in Africa after a French government U-turn on their pension rights.
Europe-bound migrants found amid broken glass, toxic ash
(Guardia Civil via AP)MADRID โ Something seemed wrong to the guard inspecting sealed bags of toxic ash in the port of Melilla, one of Spainโs two small territories in North Africa. The disturbing scene from a video released Monday by Spainโs Civil Guard highlighted the great lengths and risks that migrants and asylum seekers take in their desperate attempts to reach Europe. This year alone, the Civil Guard said it has identified 1,781 migrants trespassing in Melilla portโs security perimeter; last year, the number was 11,700. โWeโll never get used to it,โ said Juan Antonio Martรญn, a spokesman with the Civil Guard in Melilla. Because the border between Spainโs North African territories and Morocco has been closed since the pandemic began in March, it is more difficult for migrants to slip in.
France seeks strategy change to reduce troops in West Africa
French soldiers stand in an honour guard on Thursday Jan.7, 2021 as the hearse convoy of late French forces soldiers rides on the Alexandre III bridge in central Paris. French troops have been present in Mali since 2013 when they intervened to force Islamic extremist rebels from power. โFrench troops could not stay forever...so many and (with) such mixed results. A top official at the French presidency said the death of French soldiers will not in itself be the basis for a strategy change. The French military operation enjoys broad support at home.
Migrant arrivals putting pressure on Spain's Canary Islands
African migrants after arriving at the coast of Gran Canaria island, Spain on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean sailing on a wooden boat, a group of 44 migrants arrived at Maspalomas beach. More than half of the 16,000 migrants who arrived this year in the Spanish islands off northwest Africa did so in the last four weeks, a sharp influx worrying international and non-profit organizations. Thatโs compared to around 1,500 arrivals recorded last year in the archipelago, better known for its vacation resorts popular among northern Europeans. The new migrant focus on the perilous Canary Islands route, first seen in 2006, has come as authorities crack down on previously popular passages across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to European Union countries.
Spain searches for answer to migrants eyeing Canary Islands
MADRID โ Spainโs government is stepping up its response to a surge in the number of migrants crossing the Atlantic from Africa to the Canary Islands, though there was little new in the measures announced Friday. More than 16,000 migrants have arrived in the Spanish islands off northwest Africa this year, hoping to ensure a better life on European soil. In the whole of last year, around 1,500 arrived in the archipelago better known as a European vacation destination. The Spanish foreign ministry, meanwhile, is to spend an additional 500 million euros ($590 million) on cooperation programs with those countries. The new migrant focus on the perilous Canary Islands route, first seen in 2006, has come as authorities crack down on previously popular passages across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to European Union countries.