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A30 world news
Diabierna 11 December 2020

Inferno in large squat for migrants kills 3 in Spain

(AP) — Mamadou Dieye Badalona mayor, adding that Ndiaye, who has been in
was talking to his family the city hall had started work Spain for 14 years, said he
back in Senegal when he to empty the building after and fellow Senegalese Mati-
heard shouts of distress drug sales and petty thefts ga Thiam had been surviv-
downstairs. Smoke quick- increased in the area dur- ing on the little money they
ly followed the screams, ing the past two years, pro- made from trading in scrap
and in the ensuing panic voking problems with other metal they scavenge in Bad-
Dieye watched in horror neighbors. García Albiol was alona, a working-class town
as several fellow squatters absolved of charges of using of 200,000 inhabitants on the
plummeted from three racist language against Roma- Mediterranean coast border-
stories high to escape the nian immigrants to his city ing with Barcelona.
fire billowing below. several years ago.
Ndiaye calculated that
“I saw that a man who hit the Dieye, 43, said that unlike around 150 people from Sen-
ground wasn’t moving, and most of his housemates, he egal, Ghana, Gambia, and
I said, ‘He’s dead,’” Dieye has his Spanish residency and other countries were living in
told The Associated Press on work permits after spend- the complex because access
Thursday hours after a fire Most of the injured were be- extinguish the flames and sta- ing 20 years in the European to housing is difficult, espe-
had engulfed the abandoned ing treated for trauma after bilize the structure to safely country. He had been forced cially for migrants still seek-
industrial complex where he they jumped from the build- access it, Aragonés told TVE. to give up a room he was rent- ing to regularize their stay in
and over 100 other African ing, emergency coordinator Several drones and sniffer ing in Barcelona and come to Europe.
migrants lived in precarious Francisco Tebar told Span- dogs were being used to look the squat in the neighboring “There are many people who
conditions. ish state broadcaster TVE. for anyone else who might be town of Badalona after los- do not want to rent a place
Authorities for northeast Around 30 people were trapped in unstable parts of ing his job as a cook, he said. for you. There are people (in
Spain said that firefighters pulled from windows before the complex. Many restaurant profession- the building) who have work
had confirmed three deaths the roof collapsed at vari- The regional chief said that als have been thrust out of but cannot rent an apart-
while continuing their search ous points. Televised images many occupants were be- work due to the COVID-19 ment. And if you don’t have
in a building whose roof par- showed a group of people lieved to be in Spain without confinement measures and a place to sleep, you come
tially collapsed when a fire huddling together on the a legal residence permit and the resulting economic here,” Ndiaye said.
raged through it Wednesday roof as flames illuminated had left the scene without be- downturn. The pair of friends said they
night. Around 20 people had the thick smoke surrounding ing attending to my medical While he said he just got couldn’t forget the image
to be treated by medics, in- them in the night. or support staff. out past the flames by tak- they saw as they ran out past
cluding three people in criti- Catalonia’s acting regional “This has been a tragedy ing the stairs instead of leap- the building in flames, with
cal condition at local hospi- president, Pere Aragonès, said above the economic misery ing through the windows, he other occupants jumping
tals. that around 60 people have in which many of the people said that a woman he was try- from windows.
Catalonia’s regional interior been accounted for so far, but already found themselves,” ing to help succumbed to the “They couldn’t breathe,” said
minister, Miquel Sàmper, that the group of buildings Aragonès said. smoke. He feared for her life. Thiam. “If there is a fire, you
said that authorities would could had been occupied by The building had been oc- “I was seconds from dying,” know that if you don’t jump
investigate if the fire was more than 100 squatters. cupied for at least eight years, Dieye said. you will die. You just take a
“fortuitous or intentional.” Work was underway to fully said Xavier García Albiol, the Another survivor, Ousmane gamble.”

China restricts US official travel to Hong Kong

(AP) — China is imposing on free speech and opposi- the country and its officials. could be difficult however, to follow suit, often success-
restrictions on travel to tion political activity in Hong Steps such as restricting visas while giving Republicans fully.
Hong Kong by some U.S. Kong. for the 92 million members the chance to renew accusa- On Wednesday, Pompeo ac-
officials and others in re- of the ruling Communist tions that Biden is softening cused U.S. universities of
taliation for similar mea- Hua said the move was taken Party and their families have Washington’s stance toward caving to Chinese pressure
sures imposed on Chinese “given that the U.S. side is “again exposed the sinister Beijing. to blunt or bar criticism of
individuals by Washing- using the Hong Kong issue to intentions of extreme anti- the the Chinese communist
ton, the Foreign Ministry seriously interfere in China’s China forces in Washington “By relentlessly challenging party, which he said was “poi-
said Thursday. internal affairs and under- to hijack China-U.S. rela- the bottom line of China- soning the well of our higher
mine China’s core interests.” tions for their own political U.S. relations on issues con- education for its own ends.”
U.S. diplomatic passport Those sanctioned “have per- gain,” Xinhua said in an edi- cerning China’s core inter- Chinese responded by vow-
holders visiting Hong Kong formed egregiously and are torial. ests, anti-China politicians ing to impose countervailing
and nearby Macao will tem- primarily responsible on the The U.S. State Department are not only digging a hole measures against American
porarily no longer receive Hong Kong issue,“ she said at last week cut the duration of for the next administration’s officials, saying U.S. accusa-
visa-free entry privileges, a daily briefing. such visas from 10 years to relationship with China, but tions and punitive measures
spokesperson Hua Chunying “China once again urges the one month, another example also eying their own personal only solidified the Chinese
said. U.S. side to immediately stop of the increasingly hard-line political gains,” Xinhua said. people behind their leaders.
U.S. administration officials, meddling in Hong Kong af- stance adopted by the admin- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Perhaps with an eye toward
congressional staffers, em- fairs, stop interfering in Chi- istration in its waning days. Pompeo has castigated China Biden, who takes office Jan.
ployees of non-governmental na’s internal affairs, and not That came in addition to the on almost a daily basis over 20, Xinhua held open the
organizations and their im- go further down the wrong sanctions targeting specific its policies toward Taiwan, possibility of better relations
mediate family members will and dangerous path,” Hua Chinese and Hong Kong of- Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang if Washington changed its ap-
face “reciprocal sanctions,” said. ficials over their actions in and the South China Sea. proach.
Hua said. China had long threatened Hong Kong, the northwest- Dozens of officials from “Today, China and the Unit-
She was apparently referring to retaliate against the U.S. ern region of Xinjiang and mainland China and Hong ed States should also uphold
to U.S. sanctions that bar cer- sanctions and other actions elsewhere. Kong have been hit with visa the spirit of non-conflict,
tain Chinese and Hong Kong seen as hostile. While President-elect Joe bans and other sanctions and non-confrontation, mutual
officials from traveling to the Earlier, China’s official Xi- Biden has signaled he intends new restrictions have been respect and win-win coop-
U.S. or having dealings with nhua News Agency said to keep pressure on China, imposed on Chinese dip- eration,” Xinhua said. “The
the U.S. financial system Trump administration offi- he’s also expected to seek lomats, journalists and aca- two must focus on manag-
over their roles in imposing cials are “digging a hole” for a return to more conven- demics. Chinese tech giant ing their differences, with the
a sweeping National Secu- the next U.S. administra- tional, less confrontational Huawei has been shut out of top priority being a smooth
rity Law passed this summer tion’s relationship with Chi- style of diplomacy. Rolling the U.S. market and the U.S. transition toward stronger
that ushered in a crackdown na through actions targeting back Trump-era measures has lobbied other countries China-U.S. relations.”