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world news Diahuebs 25 November 2021

Migrant boat capsizes in English Channel; at least 31 dead

(AP) — At least 31 mi- He called for coordination
grants bound for Britain with the U.K., saying “the re-
died Wednesday when sponse must also come from
their boat sank in the Great Britain.”
English Channel, in what
France’s interior minister Noting other deadly past in-
called the biggest trag- cidents involving migrants in
edy involving migrants on the same waters, Darmanin
the dangerous crossing to lashed out at “criminal traf-
date. fickers” driving thousands to
risk the crossing.
Interior Minister Gerald Dar-
manin said 34 people were British Prime Minister Boris
believed to have been on the Johnson convened a meet-
boat. Authorities found 31 ing of the government’s cri-
bodies and two survivors, sis committee, and Darma-
and one person appeared to nin rushed to see survivors
still be missing. The nation- in a Calais hospital. The two
alities of the travelers was not governments have long been
released. at odds over how to prevent
the crossings, with both sides
A joint French-British op- blaming the other for not do-
eration to search for survi- ing enough.
vors was still under way late
Wednesday. Johnson said he was
“shocked, appalled and deep- of the ports of Calais and Sudan have been among traffic, the crossing is danger-
Four suspected traffickers ly saddened.” Boulogne, told The Associat- those gathered along towns ous for the inflatables and
were arrested Wednesday on ed Press that he spoke to one in northern France seeking to other small boats that men,
suspicion of being linked to A French naval boat spotted of the rescuers who brought cross to Britain. women and children squeeze
the sunken boat, Darmanin several bodies in the water some of the bodies to the into.
told reporters in the French around 2 p.m. and retrieved Calais port. The number of migrants us-
port city of Calais. He said an unknown number of dead ing small boats to cross the French and British authori-
two of the suspects later ap- and injured, including some “Traffickers are assassins,” he channel has grown sharply ties have picked up thou-
peared in court. who were unconscious, a said. “We were waiting for this year, despite the high sands of migrants off both
maritime authority spokes- something like this to hap- risks that are worsening in the French and British coasts
The regional prosecutor person said. pen.” autumn weather. in recent weeks in scores of
opened an investigation into rescue operations.
aggravated manslaughter af- Three French patrol boats While deaths are occasion- More than 25,700 people
ter the sinking. were joined by a French heli- ally reported on the crossing, have made the dangerous Darmanin insisted that
copter and a British helicop- such a large number of peo- journey in small boats this France has worked hard to
“It’s a day of great mourning ter in searching the area, ac- ple losing their lives in one year — three times the total prevent deadly crossings,
for France, for Europe, for cording to the French mari- boat is rare. for the whole of 2020. rescuing 7,800 people since
humanity to see these people time agency for the region. January and stopping 671
die at sea,” Darmanin said. People fleeing conflict in Af- With changeable weather, who were trying to cross on
Jean-Marc Puissesseau, head ghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea and cold seas and heavy maritime Wednesday alone.

German parties reach deal for government to end Merkel era

(AP) — Germany’s infections in the pandemic a vote by the Greens’ roughly of “courage and confidence” Habeck added that, instead
would-be governing par- so far, a reality that somewhat 125,000-strong membership. that fits those times. “The of formally setting new goals
ties vowed Wednesday to overshadowed the launch. The other two parties plan to guiding principle of this gov- for reducing greenhouse gas
modernize Europe’s big- Scholz opened the event by sign off on it at conventions ernment is a society that acts, emissions, it will focus on
gest economy and step promising that “the new gov- during the first weekend in a state that invests and a Ger- concrete measures including
up efforts against climate ernment will do everything December, paving the way many that simply works.” ensuring that the price per
change as they announced necessary to bring us through for parliament to elect Scholz ton of carbon dioxide won’t
an agreement that leaves this time well.” as chancellor during the week Key pledges by the prospec- fall below 60 euros — a mea-
center-left leader Olaf starting Dec. 6. tive partners include an in- sure that will speed up the
Scholz poised to replace The three-party alliance is a crease in the minimum wage coal phaseout.
longtime Chancellor An- first for a German govern- Scholz has been Merkel’s to 12 euros ($13.50) per hour
gela Merkel within weeks. ment and creates strange finance minister and vice from the current 9.60 euros At the Free Democrats’ insis-
bedfellows, with two left- chancellor since 2018 in the — a move that Scholz said tence, the prospective part-
The coalition will shift Ger- leaning parties and one, the outgoing “grand coalition” “means a wage increase for 10 ners said they won’t raise
many’s leadership a bit to Free Democrats, that in re- of Germany’s traditional big million citizens.” And they taxes or loosen curbs on run-
the left after 16 years under cent decades allied with the parties, in which his party was also aim to get 400,000 new ning up debt.
the center-right Merkel, who center-right. But Scholz pre- the junior partner. Merkel apartments per year built in
gained plaudits for her han- sented it as a big opportunity. didn’t run for a fifth term, an effort to curb rising rental The pro-business party’s
dling of a series of crises over and her Christian Democrats prices. leader, Christian Lindner,
the years. Scholz signaled that The new government will will head into opposition af- said that “together we have
the country’s foreign policy not seek “the lowest common ter a disastrous campaign that Habeck also said measures a mission to modernize this
would not change much. denominator, but the politics ended with defeat in Germa- planned by the government country.” He proclaimed that
of big impacts,” he promised. ny’s Sept. 26 election. would put Germany on a “we are going to digitize this
Scholz’s Social Democrats, path to meet the goals of the state.” That’s a challenge in a
the environmentalist Greens Scholz, 63, said he expects “We will take over the gov- 2015 Paris climate accord. It country that has notoriously
and the pro-business Free that members of the three ernment in a time of crisis,” also intends to bring forward patchy internet and cell-
Democrats are set to take the parties will give their bless- Green co-leader Robert Ha- Germany’s exit from coal-fu- phone coverage and where
reins just as Germany faces its ing to the deal in the next 10 beck acknowledged, describ- eled power from 2038, “ide- government services are of-
biggest surge of coronavirus days. The biggest challenge is ing the coalition deal as a sign ally” completing it in 2030. ten offline.