Four migrants drowned overnight in the English Channel off France's northern coast while trying to cross to Britain, French maritime police said on Friday.
A navy patrol boat went to the site after being alerted that several migrants had fallen into the sea off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer at around 4.30am while attempting to make the crossing.
Four people winched out of the water by helicopter were dead, police said. Another 63 were rescued in an operation involving four ships and one helicopter.
A French coastguard spokesman said its services were still collecting information about the incident and he could not comment further.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on X: “The further loss of life in the Channel this morning is truly awful. My thoughts are with all those affected.
“Criminal gangs are making vast profit from putting lives at risk.
“We are accelerating action with international partners to pursue and bring down dangerous smuggler gangs.”
An HM Coastguard spokesman said assistance was offered to the French coastguard on Friday, adding: "An RNLI lifeboat from Dover and Border Force vessel were initially sent to provide support, but were not required to attend the scene."
Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon said this morning's loss of life in the Channel highlights "the scale of the challenge" facing the new Government and called for safe routes to be opened to stop people taking "deadly risks".
He added: "There are no quick fixes but over time, with the right combination of policies, it is possible to stop these tragic deaths. We stand ready to support our new government in this."
More than 14,000 people have arrived in Britain this year via small, overloaded boats – usually flimsy inflatable dinghies – that risk being lashed by the waves as they try to reach UK shores.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned this week that the number of migrants crossing the Channel to the UK “can’t be changed overnight”.
Home Office figures show 419 people made the journey in six boats on Tuesday, suggesting an average of around 70 people per boat, taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 14,058.
This is 10 per cent higher than the number recorded this time last year (12,772) and up 6 per cent on the same period in 2022 (13,318), according to PA news agency analysis of government data.
Net migration – the difference between the number of people legally arriving in the UK and leaving – hit 685,000 last year.
Migrants attempt to cross the Channel from France – in pictures
Earlier this week, Middle East envoy and former Labour prime minister Tony Blair urged Keir Starmer to formulate a “plan to control immigration”, warning of the threat from the UK's right-wing parties.
Mr Starmer has axed the multimillion-pound stalled plan to send migrants to Rwanda and plans to use the money to pay for a new security border command.
He said the unit will be staffed with “hundreds of new specialist investigators”, vowing to “use counterterror powers to smash criminal boat gangs” in a bid to curb Channel crossings.
On Wednesday, police said a man had been arrested as part of an investigation into the small boat crossings.
The 25-year-old Iraqi national is suspected of being involved in planning the movement of migrants across Europe and into northern France, with the UK as an end destination, a spokesman for the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
