Africa Daily Focus on Africa: Activists block foreigners from South African hospitals
The African Union sends a delegation to South Sudan to encourage the warring sides in the country to revive a 2018 peace deal and pave the way for elections. Can they bring both sides back to the table?
And as Africa Fashion Week London comes to an end, how can African fashion leverage its global appeal?
Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Stefania Okereke
Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
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Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The migrant 'mega dinghy': Labour's pledge to 'smash the gangs' in tatters after huge inflatable brings record 107 small boat migrants across Channel to Britain
A record 107 small boat migrants have reached Britain in just one dinghy, confounding Labour's pledge to 'smash the gangs'. Images from the port of Dover this morning showed human traffickers have begun to deploy a new, longer type of inflatable. The dinghy - which can barely be described as a 'small boat' - was recovered in the Channel and taken to Dover, where it was being examined by Border Force and law enforcement, GB News reported. It brought 107 migrants to Britain overnight, smashing the previous record of 96 people aboard one inflatable. The appearance of the larger type of dinghy further undermines Labour's decision to concentrate on law enforcement responses to ' smash the gangs '. Sir Keir Starmer scapped the previous Conservative government's Rwanda asylum scheme as one of his first acts in office, just as it was finally ready to get off the ground. The Rwanda scheme was designed to make crossing the Channel pointless, because migrants would be sent to Rwanda to claim asylum there instead of here. A new, longer type of dinghy is being used by people traffickers. The inflatable was intercepted in the Channel by UK Border Force with an astonishing 107 people aboard - a record - and brought into the Port of Dover overnight On Monday alone there were 474 Channel arrivals, pushing the total past 50,000 since Labour came to power. There were thought to have been at least 400 more yesterday but official numbers have not yet been confirmed by the Home Office. Small boat arrivals so far this year are up 47 per cent on the same period last year, hitting record levels of more than 27,000. The use of bigger migrant boats will be of deep concern to British officials, who have ploughed significant resources into attempts to disrupt traffickers' supplies. One maritime security source told GB News: 'This is highly alarming. 'It looks like the smuggling gangs have specified larger boats, which we know are designed and built in back street factories in China. 'Bigger boats mean bigger numbers of arrivals, at a time when we're already seeing record numbers crossing from France. 'If we are witnessing the advent of a new, larger migrant boat, this is the worst possible news for those attempting to smash the gangs.' Last month Labour's Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt claimed a seizure of 25 dinghies in Bulgaria, in an operation involving Britain's National Crime Agency, was a 'significant step forward in our joint work to disrupt the supply chain fuelling these dangerous small boat crossings'. Earlier this week large groups of migrants were seen sprinting into the surf off Gravelines beach, between Calais and Dunkirk, in a bid to get aboard a boat to Britain. From first light, as French police stood and watched and a navy vessel patrolled off the coast, scores waded into the water to clamber onto a taxi boat that appeared just off shore. The government's much trumpeted 'returns deal' with France appears to have done little to deter those determined to get to Britain, with at least 1,500 arrivals in the week since the 'one in, one out' scheme launched. Former Labour Home Secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith - now an education, women and equalities minister under Sir Keir – yesterday blamed the Conservatives for the activity of smuggling gangs on the Continent. 'It is a completely legitimate claim to say that that is because what is happening is the result of the last government that chose to focus on gimmicks with the Rwanda scheme,' she said. Asked on Sky News if the crossings were not Labour's fault, Lady Smith went on: 'We are taking responsibility. I don't believe it is our fault that it was enabled to take root in the way in which it has done by a government who failed to do what was necessary at that point. 'The last government enabled this hideous criminal activity to really get its roots into across Europe. 'There was a lengthy period, at the time, in which the criminal gangs, the criminal masterminds, the organised crime who are behind this, had the opportunity to have this operation set up and really embedded. 'And that's the task that this Government now has, to deconstruct that.' But her attempt to evade responsibility was met with incredulity. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'The government has now confirmed that 50,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Channel in Labour's short time in power, the worst crisis in our history. 'Labour has surrendered our borders, and the consequences are being felt in our communities, from rising crime to shocking cases of rape and sexual assault by recent arrivals. 'Labour has scrapped Conservative deterrents and created the conditions for chaos, leaving the British people to foot the bill.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Human rights 'worsened' in Britain under Labour with 'surge in anti-Semitic violence and growing curbs on free speech', finds report by Donald Trump's administration
Human rights 'worsened' in Britain last year amid increased anti-Semitic violence and growing curbs on free speech, according to Donald Trump 's administration. A new report by the US State Department found 'credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression' and violence 'motivated by anti-Semitism'. The assessment, which analyses human rights conditions worldwide, said there were 'specific areas of concern' involving curbs on 'political speech deemed 'hateful' or offensive'. The report pointed to laws establishing 'safe access zones' around abortion clinics in England and Wales. 'These restrictions on freedom of speech could include prohibitions on efforts to influence others when inside a restricted area, even through prayer or silent protests,' it said. The State Department also highlighted last summer's Southport murders, in which three young girls were stabbed to death. The report said, following the attacks, that 'local and national government officials repeatedly intervened to chill speech as to the identity and motives of the attacker'. 'Numerous non-government organisations and media outlets criticised the Government's approach to censoring speech, both in principle and in the perceived weaponisation of law enforcement against political views disfavoured by authorities,' it added. 'While many media observers deemed 'two-tier' enforcement of these laws following the Southport attacks an especially grievous example of Government censorship, censorship of ordinary Britons was increasingly routine, often targeted at political speech.' Immediately after the Southport stabbings, false rumours spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker. These were judged to have fuelled the riots seen in the aftermath of the murders, while there were also prosecutions of those found to have stirred up violence and racial hatred on social media. The State Department report also cited evidence of a large increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the UK in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October, 2023. 'There were credible reports of crimes, violence, and threats of violence motivated by anti-Semitism,' it said. The assessment echoed sentiments previously expressed by US vice president JD Vance. In February, Mr Vance criticised the UK over a legal case in which a former serviceman who silently prayed outside an abortion clinic was convicted of breaching the safe zone around the centre. In a wider attack on what he suggested was a shift away from democratic values across Europe, Mr Vance claimed the 'basic liberties of religious Britons, in particular' are under threat. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Mr Vance said that the US' 'very dear friends the United Kingdom' appeared to have seen a 'backslide in conscience rights'. The State Department report directed criticism over the handling of free speech at the governments of Germany and France. But it also said the UK Government 'effectively' enforced laws around freedom of association and the rights of workers. It concluded: 'The human rights situation worsened in the United Kingdom during the year. 'Significant human rights issues included credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression, including enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism. 'The Government sometimes took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, but prosecution and punishment for such abuses was inconsistent.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'Free speech is vital for democracy around the world, including here in the UK and we are proud to uphold freedoms whilst keeping our citizens safe.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Israeli PM looks to relocate Gazans to another war-torn region
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly in talks with South Sudan about resettling Palestinians from Gaza, aligning with US president Donald Trump 's concept of "voluntary migration". Multiple sources familiar with the matter have indicated that Israel is discussing the plan with the North African nation, though the progress of these talks remains uncertain. The proposal to remove Gazans from their homeland has been widely rejected by Palestinians and human rights groups, who argue it violates international law. A US-backed organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is reportedly involved in a $2bn plan for "Humanitarian Transit Areas" for Palestinians, an operation the UN has deemed "inherently unsafe". Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with most of its 2.3 million residents displaced, vast areas destroyed, and the territory on the brink of famine due to Israel's ongoing offensive.
