Space Travel News  
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Senegalese navy rescues 82 migrants
by AFP Staff Writers
Dakar (AFP) Nov 4, 2021

Senegal's navy has rescued 82 migrants whose traditional wooden canoe capsized en route for Spain, the armed forces in the West African state said on Thursday.

The canoe left neighbouring The Gambia on Monday and was spotted by a Spanish military plane, according to the armed forces.

It began taking on water and capsized the following day.

But two Senegalese navy vessels rescued all 82 people aboard, in the Atlantic Ocean 86 kilometres (51 miles) off the northern Senegalese city of Saint-Louis.

A spokesman for Senegal's armed forces did not disclose the nationality of the passengers.

Would-be migrants often try to reach Canary Islands aboard traditional wooden canoes, which are known as pirogues.

The Spanish-owned archipelago lies more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the coast of Africa at its closest point.

But the open-ocean route to the Canaries is perilous.

In September, the UN's International Office for Migration said that 785 people had died or disappeared trying to reach the islands between January and August.

The armed-forces spokesman told AFP that the Spanish government sent the military plane that spotted the capsized boat to Senegal in order to monitor migrant flows.

Belgium cuts cop sentence for shooting migrant toddler
Mons, Belgium (AFP) Nov 4, 2021 - A Belgian court on Thursday reduced from 12 to 10 months a police officer's suspended sentence for fatally shooting a Kurdish toddler during a chase of a van carrying migrants.

Two-year-old Mawda was fatally wounded by a shot to the head in May 2018 as police chased a van being driven across Belgium by traffickers taking migrants from the continent to Britain.

The high-profile tragedy caused a scandal in Belgium and, for rights activists, became a symbol of the dangers posed by the "criminalisation" of irregular migration.

Victor-Manuel Jacinto Goncalves, 49, was in February found guilty of involuntary homicide for opening fire on the vehicle and handed a one-year suspended sentence and a 400-euro fine. On Thursday, an appeals court reduced his suspended sentence to 10 months but upheld the fine.

The officer insisted he intended to shoot out a tyre to halt the van, but his car swerved violently and the bullet went astray.

His lawyer demanded a full acquittal on appeal.

But campaign group Justice4Mawda said an acquittal would send a "disastrous message on the total impunity" for police using unwarranted violence.

Mawda's parents, who left Iraq in 2015 and had intended to head to Britain, settled in Belgium after her death, granted leave to remain on humanitarian grounds.

The case drew attention from celebrities -- including Pink Floyd singer-songwriter Roger Waters and film director Ken Loach -- who demanded justice for the toddler.

Cooperation between French and Belgian services was also placed in the spotlight during the original trial.

When the migrants' van set off from northern France in May 2018, French investigators had placed a GPS tracker on board.

But Belgian police did not know it was already under surveillance when they tried to intercept the traffickers on a motorway south of Brussels.


Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Sad sight': Astronaut reports back on Earth's climate disaster
Paris (AFP) Nov 4, 2021
A French astronaut reported back on Earth's climate change damage as seen from space on Thursday, calling it a "sad sight" in a conversation with President Emmanuel Macron. Thomas Pesquet, on his second tour at the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting the planet, told Macron by video link that the destructive impact of human activity was becoming more and more visible, even from 400 kilometres (250 miles) away. "Unfortunately that is the case, Mister President," Pesquet said. "Through the ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flight 14 Successful

You can help train NASA's rovers to better explore Mars

NASA Mars Rover and Helicopter models to go on national tour

China's Mars orbiter resumes communications with Earth

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Airbus, Air Liquide and ispace Europe launch EURO2MOON

International workshop seeks to turn plans for crewed lunar observatory into reality

NASA challenges students to design moon-digging robots

Rhea Space Activity Receives USAF Contract to Enhance Domain Awareness in Cislunar Space

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Science results offer first 3D view of Jupiter's atmosphere

Juno peers deep into Jupiter's colorful belts and zones

Scientists find strange black 'superionic ice' that could exist inside other planets

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is deeper than thought, shaped like lens

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Key role of the reactor surface in Miller's experiment on the molecular origin of life

Scientists measure the atmosphere of a planet 340 light-years away

The upside-down orbits of a multi-planetary system

Searching for Earth 2 zoom in on a star

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
NASA, SpaceX reschedule Crew-3 launch due to weather

Kuaizhou lifts off successfully, places satellite in orbit

NASA seeks input to position mega-rocket for long-term exploration

Crew-3 astronauts launch to Space Station alongside microgravity research

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Chinese astronauts arrive at space station for longest mission

China's longest-yet crewed space mission impressive, expert says

Chinese astronaut bridges gender gap

Test conducted to verify spacecraft technology, FM says

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Vast patches of glassy rock in Chilean desert likely created by ancient exploding comet

NASA awards $15M for asteroid hunting telescopes on Maui

What happens when a meteor hits the atmosphere

SwRI-led team produces a new Earth Bombardment Model









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.